You cannot file as Single. According to the IRS: "...taxpayers whose spouses died during the tax year are considered married for the entire year, provided they did not remarry. The surviving spouse is eligible to file as Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately." If you qualify, you can file as head of household. You would qualify for HOH if you:
- Are unmarried or “considered unmarried” on the last day of the tax year, and
- Paid more than half the cost of keeping up a home for the required period of time, and
- Had a qualifying person living in their home for more than half the year (except for temporary absences,such as school)
Whether you should file MFJ or MFS is a bit complicated and beyond this forum.
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