Disability tax credit for type 1 persons with diabetes.

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Permalink Reply by Preta on January 6, 2009 at 10:41am

Disability tax credit???? Tell me more.
What do you get for this?

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Permalink Reply by nel peach on January 6, 2009 at 1:20pm

If you qualify( complete the application , take forms to your DR and have forms signed and you can either complete with your tax return or do submit seperately ) for the disability tax credit it will reduce the amount of income tax payable to the government or depending on how much income tax you have paid , you may be eligible for a refund .It is called a non-refundable tax credit .
One suggestion : visit the Canadian Diabetes Association website at www.diabetes.ca and search for disability tax credit .
Hope I made it clear ...my Endo is totally awere how much time I as a pumper and sensor wearer spends on my life sustaining therapy ( min. 14 hours weekly ) .People ( working adults ) in my community have qualified .

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Permalink Reply by Samantha Seltenrich on January 6, 2009 at 5:32pm

From what I've read, simply having diabetes and having to spend hundreds of dollars every month doesn't qualify you for the credit. You would have to also have complications from diabetes such as blindness or amputations. At least that's what I could gather from the diabetes.ca website. The mandatory 14 hours a week of care seems to be something easily met though. I would apply for it first and see if the government would support it.

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Permalink Reply by nel peach on April 24, 2009 at 9:11pm

just replied to your other latest post ...a success story for you , congrats. ??

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Permalink Reply by nel peach on January 6, 2009 at 8:28pm

off to Disney World 1/2 marathon with Team D.will respond after Jan . 14

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Permalink Reply by nel peach on January 17, 2009 at 12:03pm

Back from Disney World ...for me a record time for the 1/2 marathon with Team Diabetes ...3 hours, 7 min. 18 seconds and feeling GREAT...ie not disabled ; however had some challenges and overcame !!
One does not have to have complications to qualify , what one has to do is prove, that it takes a min. of 14 hours weekly to manage your type 1 diabetes. Record keeping utmost important ...this is where I assumed and was wrong , that my GP would know, since he had filled out the form 2 years ago and I was accepted .. My Specialist is totally awere, how much time one spends , however I will for my next application have the 14 day records with me , when she signed the form .I understand, that Children's Hospital in Vancouver gives the signed form to parents of children with diabetes in BC without the parents having to do all the extra work of record keeping .

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Permalink Reply by Emmy on March 18, 2009 at 3:47pm

Disability tax credits are also available for those with other types of disabilities, so even if you are type 2 and have other physical disabilities, for example vision problems, or you use a wheelchair, etc, then you might qualify under those disabilities. It all helps when you're on a low income.

Its worth looking into for anyone with disabilities that take up a lot of time to work around, not just diabetes pumps. At least it can help pay for house adaptations or test strips. You can get more information here, http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/sgmnts/dsblts/menu-eng.html

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Permalink Reply by nel peach on March 18, 2009 at 5:31pm

Emmy : right you are , however the diabetes ( LIFE SUSTAINING THERAPY ) inclusion is relatively new ...since 2004 retroactive to the year 2000 . It started out for insulin pumpers only , added over time thanks to advocacy by some, also type one using MDI .I believe it is page 7 of the form : LIFE SUSTAINING THERAPY . And I must admit , that I did not mention other disabilities , since we are here tuned in with people with diabetes . Thanks for mentioning and bringing it up to awareness !!...I hope people will go for it and be successfull in their application .
Be well .

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Permalink Reply by Emmy on March 18, 2009 at 11:12pm

I found out about it because of the "life sustaining therapy" change too.

We heard about this through someone who used to work with my husband, before he retired. I wish more doctors were aware of it and would inform people.

Preta, you don't get a refund from the government, but it reduces the taxes you pay out, so if you are earning an income or on pension and have some RRSPs you can cash in, at least you get to keep a little more of them. Every little bit helps.

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Permalink Reply by Gail L on March 19, 2009 at 5:12pm

Hi... talking about the Canadian disability tax credit If the person with the disability isn't making enough money to get back any more money, the disability credit can be transferred to a care givers income.. My husband's mother was in a retirement home and he did everything for her; took her to all her appointments, shopping, hair dresser, visiting friends etc and our Accountant got a portion of her disability credit transferred to my husband, so he paid less tax. When she moved in with us, we were able to use a bigger portion of her disability credit.
I know it's hard when you don't make much money to pay an accountant, but if you find a good one it's worth it. I run my own business from home, so have had an accountant do my Income Tax for years. Then about 5 years ago, I changed accountant and the new one actually got us $6000 back from the government on back years income tax where the other accountant hadn't because he had not told us about claiming my mother in law's disability credit. That $6000 pays for a lot of years of her charges for doing my taxes. Just be sure you question the accountant thoroughly about what they can do for you, before you sign up with them, like in any occupation there are one that know their job and ones that don't.

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Permalink Reply by nel peach on March 19, 2009 at 8:17pm

You are so correct Gail : ..see you Accountant ( and make sure he is accountable ...my little joke ) ..some Accountants unaware of this credit ...challenge them :-) ...A GP probably not in tune with the disability tax credit ..he/she takes care of our bodily and maybe mental HEALTH , HEALTH...not our MONETARY health ?...this is why we have EXPERTS !!
On the other hand we have to be advocates for ourselves ...I know CDA has on their website a link about this for years , at least since 2004 ( advocacy ) , the place I found out about this for people with diabetes. Let's share :-)

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Permalink Reply by Kim on March 19, 2009 at 9:08pm

I think you have to prove that you spend 14 or more hours per week manageing your diabetes to qualify for the credit

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