@Yuwong thank you for your question, and I am sorry for your loss. For 2022, you can file as married filing jointly. The rule that governs is: Taxpayers who do not remarry in the year their spouse dies can file jointly with the deceased spouse. For the two years following the year of death, the surviving spouse may be able to use the Qualifying Surviving Spouse filing status.
So what is a Qualifying Surviving Spouse (formerly known as the Qualifying Widow or Qualifying Widower status) is a filing status that allows you to retain the benefits of the Married Filing Jointly status for two years after the year of your spouse's death. You must have a dependent child to file as a Qualifying Surviving Spouse.
The Qualifying Surviving Spouse if you have a dependent child is the most beneficial tax filing status as it has the largest standard deduction and the income tax brackets capture more taxable income, which results in less tax paid.
All the best,
Marc T.
TurboTax Live Select Time Tax Expert
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