Disability Tax Credit Self-Check

Wondering if Mum or Dad could get the Disability Tax Credit? Answer a few questions about everyday life, and in two minutes you'll know whether it's worth asking the doctor, and roughly what it's worth. Free, private, and nothing is saved.

Disability Tax Credit, 2026

$10,341

federal disability amount for the 2026 tax year

12 months

the impairment must last, or be expected to last, at least this long

90%

of the time: how often a limit must be present to count

Sources: Canada Revenue Agency · Canada Revenue Agency

1. Everyday activities

Think about a normal week, with any glasses, hearing aids or walker your parent already uses. “Almost always” means about 90% of the time.

  • Walking

    Walking 100 metres or so, or around the home, even with a cane or walker.

  • Dressing

    Getting dressed, including choosing clothes and doing up buttons or zippers.

  • Feeding

    Preparing a simple meal or eating it (not shopping or cooking skill).

  • Bowel or bladder

    Managing bowel or bladder functions without help.

  • Mental functions

    Memory, judgement, problem solving or managing everyday life, as with dementia.

  • Hearing

    Hearing a conversation in a quiet room, even with hearing aids.

  • Speaking

    Speaking clearly enough to be understood in a quiet room.

  • Vision

    Seeing, even with glasses or contacts (very low vision or legal blindness).

2. Therapy and how long it lasts

Does your parent need therapy such as dialysis, insulin therapy or oxygen at least 2 times a week, for an average of 14 hours a week or more?
Has this lasted, or is it expected to last, 12 months or more?

Answer the questions above and your result shows here. Nothing is saved.

A self-check, not an eligibility decision. Only a medical practitioner's certification on Form T2201 and the CRA's review decide. Based on the CRA eligibility page, checked October 2026.

The full rules, who can sign the form and how to claim past years are in our Disability Tax Credit guide. Approval also opens the Home Accessibility Tax Credit at any age, and you can check every other benefit with the Benefits Finder.

How the Disability Tax Credit decides who qualifies

Age alone never qualifies. The credit is for a severe impairment that has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months, and a medical practitioner has to certify it on Form T2201.

There are three routes. A marked restriction in one activity, such as walking or dressing, means your parent can't do it, or it takes about 3 times longer than for someone their age, almost all the time. Smaller limits in two or more activities can count together. And therapy like dialysis, done often enough, is its own route.

Many families of people living with dementia, severe arthritis or low vision never apply, because they assume it's only for wheelchair users. If this check says it's close, ask. The rules, the 2026 amount and how to claim past years are in our Disability Tax Credit guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Disability Tax Credit calculator for Canada?
The CRA has no official calculator, and no tool can approve the credit. Our free Disability Tax Credit Self-Check walks through the CRA's own routes (one marked restriction, two or more significant limits together, or life-sustaining therapy) and tells you whether it's worth asking the doctor. The 2026 federal amount of $10,341 saves about $1,448 in federal tax, plus a provincial amount.
Does my parent qualify for the Disability Tax Credit just for being a senior?
No. Age alone never qualifies. Your parent needs a severe impairment that has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months, certified by a medical practitioner on Form T2201. Many seniors with dementia, severe arthritis, low vision or heart and lung conditions do qualify, so it's worth checking.
What does markedly restricted mean for the DTC?
The CRA says a marked restriction means your parent can't do the activity, or it takes 3 times longer than for someone of similar age without the impairment, even with aids or medication, and that this is true all or almost all of the time (generally at least 90%).
Can two smaller limits add up to the Disability Tax Credit?
Yes. The CRA calls it the cumulative effect of significant limitations: when limits in 2 or more activities, such as walking and dressing, exist together almost all the time and add up to the same effect as one marked restriction, your parent can qualify.
How much is the Disability Tax Credit worth in 2026?
The federal disability amount is $10,341 for 2026. At the 14% lowest federal rate that lowers federal tax by about $1,448, and each province adds its own amount. It only reduces tax owed, but unused credit can often be transferred to a spouse or a supporting son or daughter, and approval can be applied to up to 10 past years.
Should I pay a company to apply for the Disability Tax Credit?
You don't need to. Applying is free: your parent (or you, with their authorization) completes Part A online or on paper, and the doctor or nurse practitioner completes Part B. Some companies take a share of the refund; read their contract before signing anything.

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