CDN Newspaper Reports Disability Tax Credit: Being denied unfairly
BMD in the news!
A major Canadian newspaper recently reported on how well Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is doing at approving Disability Tax Credit claims, and with the help of information provided by BMD Services, concluded that CRA needs to do a better job at approving deserving claimants.
In an article entitled “Disability tax credit still being wrongly denied: Diligence welcome, harassment not“, the article reports:
“why is a local CRA office sending letters to doctors who have already filled out the CRA-approved DTC certification form, with wording that is inconsistent with the official form approved in the Income Tax Act?”
“DTC consultant Barry Ho of BMD Services brought this to my attention. He has shown me a letter that is being sent from the CRA to doctors, which includes an example scenario that incorrectly states a patient should not be eligible for the DTC until unable to walk, and points out this may be several years after the onset of a condition that impaired the patient’s ability to walk.”
“This was a further follow-up letter from the CRA to a doctor who had already certified the patient as eligible. The doctor’s own handwritten note back to the CRA asks, “This is the third time I have answered the same question — why?”
“The only answer I can come up with is that the CRA is working hard right now to have DTC applications denied.”
“It appears possible now that even those practitioners who take this time and care are subsequently being forced to answer a different set of ad hoc questions prepared by local CRA offices, which questions are not consistent with the official DTC form.”
“Ho also told of a client whose doctor had completed the T2201 DTCC form completely and correctly and answered a follow-up letter from the CRA, both appearing to certify qualification for the DTC. The doctor then received a phone call from the CRA, after which the patient was denied.”
“These recent actions by the CRA may force more people to hire experts to enforce their proper and legitimate tax-filing position…”
(Source) Winnipeg Free Press Print Edition (article), “Disability tax credit still being wrongly denied: Diligence welcome, harassment not”, July 20, 2011 http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/finance/disability-tax-credit-still-being-wrongly-denied-163148966.html