Questions and Answers

Why should my doctor use the guideline you sent him/her? The CRA is very particular about the descriptions that are used in your application. If an application has limited information the CRA will write your doctor requesting more information (Clarification Letter) delaying the process and adding on additional time and complexity, or deny your application. 1 or 2 word answers, or simply listing off your diagnosis without an adequate description is not acceptable. For example, if a patient has COPD and the doctor only writes COPD – that does not describe how the patient is affected as there are of course varying levels. The more descriptive, the better. What if my doctor doesn’t use the guideline? If your doctor disagrees with the examples we provided, that is ok – they are encouraged to write their own description. However, it is imperative that they are as descriptive as possible. Simply writing one or two words, or using incorrect wording will most likely result in a denied application. What happens after I send you my application? Once we have received your application we will carefully review it to ensure it has been completed correctly. If we feel that the description is adequate based on the CRA’s requirements, we will submit them to the CRA. If not, we will contact your doctor in order to have the application corrected. You may have to book another appointment with them if they do not agree to make the amendments without you present. We will do our best to avoid you having to make another appointment. How long does it take after I send you the application forms? Typically, if we submitted your application to CRA today, the turn around time for them to process it is about 10-12 weeks. At that point, they will either approve/deny/request more information from your doctor. Once approved, the CRA will have to reassess your taxes to factor in the credit, which depending on the tax centre we are dealing with can take up to an additional 20+ weeks (some quicker, but that is currently what the CRA is providing as estimates for reassessments). What if my doctor does not agree with signing my Disability Tax Credit application? Doctors are the key to having your Disability Tax Credit application approved. If it is not signed by a doctor or Nurse Practitioner , it cannot be processed by the Canada Revenue Agency. More often than not, clients are told “You are not disabled enough to qualify for this”. Most of the time, this is not the case. There is a big disconnect between what the CRA deems eligible and the doctor’s understanding of what is eligible. It does not need to be a specialist or your GP that signs the forms. If a walk in clinic has medical history on you, they are able to sign so long as they have sufficient information. We strive to help educate your doctor on exactly what the requirements are for the Disability Tax Credit, and how your specific condition can qualify for it.