Depression and the Disability Tax Credit
Depression does not qualify or fail to qualify. People do, and only the CRA decides. The CRA does not assess a diagnosis. It assesses how an impairment affects specific activities of daily living, based on what a medical practitioner certifies. Two people with the same condition routinely get different determinations, which is the whole point of a functional test. Anyone who tells you your condition qualifies is guessing.
What this page does instead: it shows which of the CRA's assessment categories a practitioner most often speaks to in this situation, and the detail they will need from you in order to do it accurately.
Categories a practitioner usually speaks to
- Mental functions necessary for everyday life
These are the CRA's own assessment categories. Your practitioner decides which apply to you, and they may reach a different view.
What the CRA is actually asking
Not "how bad is it". The criteria turn on time taken, frequency, assistance needed, and whether that is the case substantially all of the time. In practice that means answering things like:
- What initiating and completing ordinary daily tasks looks like
- How concentration, memory and decision-making affect what you get done
- How much of the time this is the case, and what the better and worse periods look like
- What help you need from another person on an ordinary day
Assessed as you actually live. The CRA assesses you with your usual medication, therapy, aids and devices in place. Describing yourself without them does not answer the question being asked.
The thing most often left out
The pattern over time. Episodic conditions are often described only at their worst or only at their best. The CRA looks at whether the restriction is present substantially all of the time, so the honest pattern matters more than either extreme.
Part B is your practitioner's
Only a medical practitioner may complete Part B, and the CRA will not process an application where the applicant filled it in themselves. A medical doctor or nurse practitioner may certify all impairments; other practitioners are limited to their own area. What your practitioner needs to know, and what to do if they are hesitant.
Where to start
The self-check walks through these categories and gives you back an organized summary in your own words. It is free, it runs in your browser, and it sends us nothing unless you choose to send it.
Free help is listed here. If you would rather we prepared the documentation, it is a flat CAD 299 (what that includes). We do not determine eligibility, provide medical opinion, or guarantee approval, and nothing on this page is legal, medical, or tax advice.