Yellowknife (Feb 21/03) - Some people may qualify for a disability tax credit and not know it.

Especially under the government's new broader definition of disabilities, said Janet Toner, certified accountant and manager of client services at MacKay LLP.

So the Yellowknife Association for Community Living and the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities are co-hosting a disability tax credit seminar to clarify the claim process.

"It's probably one of the most complicated areas in the tax system," said Toner who will be making the presentation.

"What I'm hoping to do is simplify it."

During the free seminar parents, caregivers and disabled adults will learn how to claim, calculate, qualify and transfer unused credit.

They will also learn how to fill out form T2201, a disability tax credit certificate.

"We're hoping to get a really wide spectrum of people," said Diane Cook of the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities.

A disabled person is now defined by the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency as someone who is unable to perform some duties of daily life like walking, speaking, hearing, remembering and feeding.

"Some may not think they have a disorder but they do," said Toner.

There's also a child disability tax credit which can mean an additional $1,600 a year for low to modest income families.

To maximize the tax credit the medical, attendant care and disability credit must be understood as a whole, said Toner.

She said people with disabilities and those who support people with disabilities have more expenses than regular taxpayers and the program is designed to equalize that.

But if the disabled taxpayer is not registered properly and is not providing the necessary information on the tax forms they won't be getting all that is owed to them, said Toner.

The seminar is in the library meeting room between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday night. For more information contact the Yellowknife Association for Community Living or the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities.

For more tax information, visit the government Web site at www.ccra.ca.