As an adult with autism you have the ability to apply for a disability tax credit (DTC), which is a non-refundable tax credit that will provide an individual a reduction in the amount of income tax they are required to pay. The disability tax credit allows for individuals with prolonged disabilities to have some relief when evaluating their required costs to help support their disability.

As of 2019, the maximum disability amount that you can receive as an adult that has qualified for the disability tax credit is $8,235. The annual amount that individuals can receive has increased each year by approximately $100. If you are eligible for DTC and have been eligible for previous years but have not claimed the disability amount on previous tax returns, you may be able to request adjustments for up to 10 years under the CRA’s Taxpayer Relief Provision.  If the adjustment is approved you could receive a back payment based on the adjustment. 

To be eligible for the disability tax credit you will need to have a critical mental or physical impairment that impacts your daily living and basic functioning, or required you to take part in life saving therapies. The impairment is classified as critical if it has lasted you 12 months or is expected to do so.

How to apply?

To apply for disability tax credit you will need to file a T2201 form, which you can access by printing one off from the internet. Once you have obtained the T2201 form you can begin the process of filing out the required sections. You are only required to fill out the first page on the form. Part A of the form is for the taxpayer to fill out, this could include the individual with the disability, and if they’re unable to then it can be a caregiver or guardian. Part B of the form must be filled out by a medical practitioner, below is the list of which medical practitioners have authority to complete this section if you have ASD

  • Medical doctor of all impairments 
  • Psychologist

You can view this form in:

Part A:

Section 1 consists of general information about the individual with the disability. This information includes; name, birth date, social insurance number, address, and postal code.

Section 2 only needs to be filled out if the person filling out the form isn’t the one who has the disability. If there is a spouse or guardian filling out the form they will be required to complete this section which consists of the living arrangements of the disabled individual.

Section 3 is very important when it comes to how much money you will receive from DTC. This section consists of one question asking if you would want to adjust your income tax and benefit return. It is highly advised that you answer yes to this question if this is the first time you have applied as this allows CRA to review and make adjustments to previous years.

Section 4 is the final section that needs to be completed by the individual or their dependent. This section is simply providing your signature to approve CRA to have access to your medical records and the ability to adjust your income tax and benefit returns if applicable.

Part B:

For the completion of Part B you must give your form to any of the medical practitioners listed above to fill out.

Once the medical practitioner has filled out their required sections they will give the form back to you. At this point it is very important that you read over the form thoroughly and make sure nothing is missed. On the second last page of the T2201 form there is a very important section that will impact whether or not you will qualify for DTC. Under the heading Duration there are two questions provided. The first question asks if the patient’s impairment lasted or is expected to last for a period of 12 months. If the medical practitioner that completed this section checked no for this question then you will automatically be denied the DTC.  Once passed this question the second one will ask if the medical practitioner has seen or could see any drastic improvements in the patient’s condition. For this question the answer must be no, if the medical practitioner has checked yes, then you will be automatically denied the DTC.

After reviewing your T2201 form you can send it off to Sudbury Tax Center in Ontario. The center will review your application and be in contact via mail in 6-8 weeks with one of two letters. One being an acceptance of your application and the other being a letter stating your denial of your application with the reason why included.

For local support and additional information feel free to contact: Daniel Martens Martens Financial 13A Myrtle Street, Stratford PE C1B 1P4 Phone: 902-394-0502 Email: daniel@martensfinancial.ca