Very sorry for your loss. For the year that your spouse died, you can still file a joint return. That way, you will get the married filing jointly standard deduction of $27,700 (+ $1500 for each spouse 65 or older) which will lower the amount of income you are taxed on.
In My Info, you will need to indicate that your spouse died. When his name is in My Info, there is a screen early in the interview that asks "Do any of these apply to [name] ?’” where you will do that, and then a drop down will appear where you can enter the date he passed.
If you have qualifying dependent children you will be able to file as a qualifying surviving spouse (QSS) for the next two years after this tax return. Post back if you need further help.
As for the charity donations......will you be itemizing other deductions like mortgage interest and property tax? If not, then the charity donations have no effect on your refund or tax due. The charity donations only affect your refund or tax due if you also have enough other itemized deductions to exceed your standard deduction.
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
