When you file a tax return for a taxpayer who died during the tax year, you must report them as "deceased" during the year and enter their "date of death". The Social Security Administration would update the IRS database with the death of a taxpayer and IRS would expect to see the death also reported on the decedent's final income tax return (This is where the SSA would freeze his ssn).
IRS will be looking for that information in order for your return filer information to match the IRS database of taxpayers.
IRS states that you should be able to e-file a decedent return, but you must enter the information for that.
The form 1310 is not required to be filed by a surviving spouse with the joint return unless they are only using it to request a reissuance of a refund check originally received in the name of both the decedent and the surviving spouse.
Using the Form 1310 when it is not needed could cause the return to reject at IRS. Delete it from the return and try to file without it.
By filing the joint return and entering the decedent's date of death, you should receive the refund check only in the name of the surviving spouse.
