T2201 Disability Tax Credit Application Form: Current CRA Rules

Since September 8, 2026, the Canada Revenue Agency no longer accepts pre-2023 versions of Form T2201, the Disability Tax Credit Certificate. If a practitioner already completed an older copy for you, download the current version from canada.ca, confirm the form date, and check your submission route before you send anything.

Two CRA changes landed in 2026 and both affect how a T2201 reaches the agency. One closed a submission channel a lot of applicants had been using. The other retires every version of the form issued before 2023. Together they mean a file assembled last year may no longer be sendable the way you planned.

This guide covers what changed, who fills in which part of the form, how the online route differs from paper, and what the credit is worth once the CRA approves you. Every figure below comes from canada.ca, and nothing here promises approval, which is always the CRA decision.

Which Form T2201 versions does the CRA accept now?

Since September 8, 2026, the CRA no longer accepts pre-2023 versions of Form T2201. Use the current version, dated 2023 or later. Paper applicants must download the current form from the CRA form page and mail it to their tax centre. Check the version date on the form before your practitioner signs it.

The cutoff has passed, but it is not a deadline to apply for the DTC. You can apply at any time of year using an accepted form. Check the edition of a saved PDF, not when you printed it. The CRA currently offers the English paper form as version 23e.

The second change came earlier in the year and it removed a route people had grown used to. Both are set out on the CRA tax tip page, Help speed up your disability tax credit application.

Can you still send a DTC application through submit documents?

No. Since July 14, 2026, the submit documents section of a CRA account can no longer be used to send Disability Tax Credit applications. The one exception is when the CRA has specifically asked you for more information. In that case only, the tool remains the right place to upload what the agency requested.

This matters because submit documents was the fallback for anyone who had a signed paper form and wanted to avoid the mail. That shortcut is gone. If your practitioner hands you a completed paper T2201 today, the mail route to your tax centre is the way it travels, and the form has to be a 2023 version or later.

The distinction to hold onto is between an application and a follow-up. An application is the first submission of the certificate. A follow-up is the CRA writing to you and naming what it still needs. Only the second one belongs in submit documents now.

What is the difference between Part A and Part B of Form T2201?

Part A is the applicant section. The person with the impairment or their legal representative completes it. Part B is the certification section, and only a medical practitioner can complete it. The practitioner describes the effects of the impairment rather than simply naming a diagnosis.

The CRA assesses the effects of an impairment, not the diagnosis alone. A condition name tells the CRA nothing about how long it takes someone to dress, whether they can be left alone, or how often therapy is needed. The form asks about function, so the answer has to be about function.

Part A also identifies a supporting family member who may claim an unused amount. Include that person in question 2 when applying. If they were left off the application, the CRA allows a later signed written transfer request explaining the support provided for basic necessities.

What should you gather before you start Form T2201?

Gather the current form, your identification details, the name of the practitioner who will certify Part B, and a plain record of how the impairment affects daily functions. Doing this before the appointment gives the practitioner something concrete to certify instead of a blank page and a short consultation.

Before your appointment, read our guide to describing functional limitations for T2201. It separates the applicant’s routine notes from the medical evidence the practitioner must certify. Preparation helps you explain the facts; it does not replace the practitioner’s judgment or guarantee approval.

Should you apply online or on paper?

The online DTC application in a CRA account is processed faster than paper, so it is the default choice when you can use it. Paper applicants must download the latest 2023 or later Form T2201 and mail it to their tax centre. Both routes still need a practitioner to certify Part B.

For the digital route, complete Part A in your CRA account or by phone, then give the reference number to your practitioner. Their completion of Part B submits the application electronically. Use the same method for both parts; do not send Part A digitally and Part B separately on paper.

The current form always sits on the official Form T2201 page at canada.ca. Download it the day you need it rather than reusing a copy saved in a folder, since a saved copy is exactly how a pre-2023 version ends up in an envelope.

Who can certify Part B of Form T2201?

A medical doctor or nurse practitioner can certify all impairment categories. Other practitioners can certify only specified categories, such as an optometrist for vision or a psychologist for mental functions. Check the CRA's practitioner list and application instructions before booking. Applicants cannot complete Part B themselves.

Practitioners are allowed to charge for completing the form. You may be able to claim that fee as a medical expense on line 33099 or line 33199 of the return, so keep the receipt with your tax papers.

Give the practitioner the specifics before the appointment. How much longer a task takes than it would for someone without the impairment, what supervision is needed, how often therapy happens in a week. That is the vocabulary Part B is written in, and it is far easier to supply it than to expect it to be reconstructed in a fifteen minute visit.

How much is the disability amount worth once your T2201 is approved?

For the 2025 tax year, the disability amount is $10,138 for someone aged 18 or older. Children under 18 may also qualify for a $5,914 supplement, bringing the total to $16,052 before any applicable supplement reduction. These are credit-base amounts, not payments. The tax reduction depends on the person’s return.

The CRA confirms a 14.5% lowest federal rate for 2025 and a separate top-up tax credit for certain claims. Do not treat the base amount as a refund.

Non-refundable is the word that trips people up. The credit lowers tax owed, and anything left over is not paid out as a refund. That is why transferring an unused amount to a supporting person often matters more than the headline figure.

Approval can also reach backwards. The retroactive window runs up to 10 years, and the amounts differ by year, as set out on the CRA page on claiming the disability tax credit.

The under 18 supplement is reduced if, in the same year, someone claimed child care expenses on line 21400 or attendant care expenses on line 33099 or line 33199 for the child, or the child claimed attendant care expenses on line 21500 or line 33099. Provincial and territorial amounts exist as well and vary by province, so treat the federal figures above as one part of the picture.

Our retroactive DTC calculation guide explains why prior-year amounts must be assessed separately. A credit-base amount is not a guaranteed payment; the years approved and the tax otherwise payable affect the result.

What happens if you send an old version of Form T2201 after September 8, 2026?

The CRA will not accept it. From September 8, 2026, only the 2023 version of Form T2201 or later stays valid, so an older certificate cannot be processed as an application. The CRA says you will need a new application. Ask your practitioner how to arrange completion of the current form rather than assuming the older certificate can be reused.

None of the amounts above are reachable while the certificate itself is being turned away over a version number. The people most exposed are the ones furthest along: someone who printed the form in the spring, waited weeks for an appointment, and now holds a signed certificate. Look at the form before you seal the envelope.

If you are unsure which version you are holding, the safest move is also the cheapest one. Download a fresh copy from canada.ca, compare it against what you have, and only then decide whether the signature you already collected still counts.

What happens after the CRA approves your T2201?

Approval unlocks two things. You claim the disability amount on your return, on line 31600 for yourself or line 31800 when a dependant transfers it. DTC approval is also an eligibility requirement for opening a Registered Disability Savings Plan. An existing plan can remain open after DTC approval is lost, although new contributions, grants and bonds are restricted.

Several benefits sit behind the same approval. The child disability benefit pays up to $3,480 a year, or $290.00 a month per eligible child, from July 2026 to June 2027, and requires eligibility for both the Canada child benefit and the DTC. That amount begins to be reduced once adjusted family net income passes $82,847, by 3.2% of the excess for one eligible child and 5.7% for two or more.

The Canada Disability Benefit is a separate and newer program. From July 2026 to June 2027 the maximum is $204.20 a month, based on the 2025 return, up from $200 a month in the previous period. The official page also announces a $150 lump-sum supplement starting in fall 2026 for eligible Canada Disability Benefit recipients, with no separate application. This is not a payment to everyone approved for the DTC. The Canada workers benefit disability supplement has a published maximum of $843 for 2025, but the maximum varies in Quebec, Nunavut and Alberta.

An RDSP may receive matching grants and income-tested bonds under separate eligibility rules. Bonds do not require a personal contribution. After DTC approval, review the RDSP eligibility requirements and consider whether a plan fits your circumstances. Opening a plan is a separate decision, not an automatic next step.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I download the current version of Form T2201?

Download it from the CRA form page on canada.ca, which always carries the current version. Check the version date printed on the form before your practitioner completes Part B, because from September 8, 2026 the CRA no longer accepts any version issued before 2023.

What happens if I submit an old version of Form T2201 after September 8, 2026?

The CRA says a new application is needed if the form is from before 2023. Download the current version and ask your practitioner how to complete it. The cutoff concerns the edition of the form, not the day you printed it or the deadline for applying.

Can I still upload my DTC application through submit documents in my CRA account?

No. Since July 14, 2026 the submit documents section can no longer be used to send Disability Tax Credit applications. The only exception is when the CRA has specifically asked you for more information. In that situation, upload exactly what the agency requested and nothing else.

How far back can a Disability Tax Credit claim go?

The retroactive window runs up to 10 years. If the CRA approves your certificate for earlier years, you can ask to adjust those returns. For the 2016 tax year the disability amount was $8,001, and it has risen each year since, reaching $10,138 for the 2025 tax year.

Do I need the Disability Tax Credit to open an RDSP?

Yes. DTC approval is an eligibility requirement for opening a Registered Disability Savings Plan. However, an existing RDSP can remain open if DTC approval is later lost. During that period, new contributions are not allowed and new grants and bonds cannot be paid into the plan.

Can I claim the fee my practitioner charged for completing the form?

You may be able to claim the fee a medical practitioner charges for completing Form T2201 as a medical expense on line 33099 or line 33199. Keep the receipt and check the medical expense rules for your return. The fee is not automatically reimbursed in full.

Is the disability amount refundable?

No. The DTC is a non-refundable credit, so it reduces tax owed but any excess over your tax bill is not paid out. That is why a transfer to a supporting spouse, partner or family member matters when the person with the impairment owes little tax.

Choose the right next step for your application

Download the current CRA form or use its digital application, and agree on the submission method with your practitioner. If you are seeking help for a child, start REEI.ca’s child eligibility assessment. If the CRA has already written to you, follow its letter and our guide to requests for more information.