A first Canadian return often requires records that no Canadian employer or bank will send automatically. Gathering them early reduces the chance of guessing when filing time arrives.
Organize the file by question rather than by whichever institution emailed most recently.
Establish identity, dates and family information
Keep your social insurance number and identity documents securely, together with current contact details and the facts supporting the tax-residency date. Include a spouse's or common-law partner's information and relevant family changes.
A useful first page lists the move timeline, countries involved and unresolved questions. It should not simply repeat the date permanent residence was granted if the tax-residency analysis points elsewhere.
Assemble income by source and period
Collect Canadian slips and foreign salary, bank, investment, rental and pension records. Separate the resident and non-resident periods, and retain gross amounts, foreign taxes and the conversion method used.
Benefit and credit calculations may also require pre-residency world income or a non-resident spouse's income. Label those totals clearly so an informational figure is not confused with taxable income.
For a foreign statement covering a different fiscal year, obtain monthly details where needed. The annual total may not map neatly to Canada's calendar year or your residency period.
Preserve values that may matter later
For certain property owned when becoming resident, arrival-date fair market value becomes relevant to Canadian tax cost. Keep statements, valuations and ownership records. Do not assume every asset follows the same rule; pensions, Canadian property and other exceptions need separate consideration.
The first-year T1135 exception is not a reason to discard foreign-asset information. It can be needed for future reporting and eventual sales.
Finish with receipts and confirmations
Add eligible tuition, medical, donation and child care records, plus any CRA benefit applications already submitted. Keep proof of filing and the assessment after the return is processed.
Before contributing to an RRSP, check actual room rather than assuming a new Canadian salary creates immediate deductible space. A clear first-year file makes those next decisions easier to support.