Free — no sign-up needed · Deadlines & countdown tracker
ITF Tracker
Track your Intent to File expiration, appeal windows per condition, and upcoming C&P exam dates — all in one place.
- ITF 1-year expiration countdown
- Appeal deadlines: Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, and CAVC appeal
- C&P exam date reminders
- Color-coded urgency alerts
- Stored in your browser only — switching devices or clearing storage erases it
The one-year window
What is an Intent to File?
An Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966) tells the VA a claim is coming and locks in your effective date for up to one year — no evidence required.
Your ITF protects your back pay. If you filed an ITF and your claim is granted within 12 months, the VA owes you back to your ITF date — not when you filed your claim. One year is all you get.
Missing the window costs veterans thousands of dollars in back pay. Enter your filing date above to see exactly how much time you have left.
The date is protected. Now the claim.
Build the claim before the year runs out.
The ITF holds your date; the claim still has to be built. In the app your Intent to File sits on your Command Center next to every claim and what each one still needs — so the year goes to building, not wondering.
- Your ITF date and every claim on one board
- Each claim with the one piece it still needs
- Statements, the medical opinion and a cover sheet — one package, ready to file
Veteran, here's where you stand.
10% · from VA.gov
2 rated conditions, as VA.gov shows them.
File by Mar 4, 2027
On file at VA · from VA.gov
$180.42/mo
At 10%, filing single. 2026 VA table · VA decides.
2claims
0 ready to file · 2 need work · 1 filed · 2 rated by VA
Your claims
0 ready to file · 2 need work · 1 with VA
Working on · 2
answer by March 4, 2027
Dollar figures use the 2026 VA pay table (in effect since December 1, 2025) at the level shown. VA decides every rating.
Filed with VA · 1
- Filed with VA, claim number 600000123, step 3 of 8: Evidence gathering.
Rated by VA · 2
- TinnitusService-connected10%
From VA.gov · shown as VA holds it
- Left knee strainsince Sep 2011 · from VA.gov0%
Your claims, on your body
Where each of your claims sits, and what your records show that you haven't claimed yet. The colours show where things stand today — not what VA will decide.
- 2 in progress
- 2 granted
- 2 in your records, not claimed yet
- 1 filed with VA
All of it
- Hearing loss — filed with VA
- Obstructive sleep apnea — in progress
- Migraine Headaches — in progress
- Tinnitus — granted at 10%
- Left knee strain — granted at 0% · from VA.gov
- Lumbar strain — in your records, not claimed yet — worth a look
- GERD — in your records, not claimed yet — worth a look
The order of march
2 queuedYour own account is first-hand evidence no record can replace.
A diagnosis on record is the floor of a rating.
A demo veteran, not a customer. VA decides every claim.
Straight answers
ITF questions, answered
How do I file an ITF?
Three free ways: start (but don't submit) a disability claim at VA.gov — that automatically records an Intent to File; call the VA at 1-800-827-1000; or submit VA Form 21-0966 by mail or through an accredited representative. You'll get a confirmation showing your effective date.
Can I file online?
Yes — the easiest way. When you start a disability claim application on VA.gov and save it without submitting, the VA records an ITF as of that date. You then have one year to finish and submit the claim.
What if my ITF expires?
The protected effective date is gone — back pay on a later claim starts from the new filing date instead. If you can't finish your claim in time, file a new ITF before the old one lapses so a fresh one-year window starts. There's no limit on filing a new ITF, but they don't stack: only the one active when you submit your claim counts.
Does VA Claim Commander file the ITF for me?
No — we help you build the claim documents. The ITF must be filed directly with the VA (online, by phone, or via VA Form 21-0966). VA Claim Commander generates the documentation — nexus letters, personal statements, buddy statements — that goes into the claim you file.
What's the difference between an ITF and a claim?
An ITF is a placeholder: it tells the VA a claim is coming and locks your effective date, with no evidence required. The claim is the real filing — your conditions, evidence, and forms. The ITF protects your back pay while you build the claim properly.
Go deeper
A more detailed look at one part of this
Ready to build your claim documentation?
VA Claim Commander generates nexus letters, personal statements, and buddy statements — built to the evidentiary standard raters evaluate against.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Claim Commander is not a VSO, law firm, or accredited representative.