1. Yes, the pension is income.
2. Since your husband died in 2024, you will file as married. You can file as married filing jointly or married filing separately. If you file jointly, then you will need to put a check mark in the box that says he passed away in 2024. You will also need to include his income on the return.
3. If you would file a joint return, then yes, if your income is less than $30,750 then you would not need to file a return. Your total income would include the pension and between half to 85% of your social security. See below how to determine how much is taxable.
If you fall into the following, 85% of your social security is taxable income
- Single with income above $34,000
- Married Filing Jointly with income above $44,000
- Married Filing Separate regardless of income
If you fall into the following, 50% of your social security is taxable income
- Single with combined income between $25,000-$34,000
- Married Filing Jointly with combined income between $32,000 and $44,000
Your combined income is calculated by adding your
- AGI plus
- Nontaxable Interest plus
- 1/2 of your social security Benefits
Social Security Benefits Taxes
4. No. You are not a qualifying surviving spouse. In order to be so, you would need to have a qualifying child that lived with you all year.
You can enter all of your info into TurboTax and TurboTax will tell you if you need to file a return or not.
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