How do I change my filing status? <y husband died and I cant file Married.. Help !

Forum|Forum|6 months ago
January 13, 2026
1 reply
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change filing status from last year

TurboTax Online

Best answer by xmasbaby0

Expert Reviewed

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 $31,500(+ $1600 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.

https://accountants.intuit.com/support/en-us/help-article/tax-filing-status/claiming-qualified-surviving-spouse-filing-status/L7al83jU1_US_en_US

You have not mentioned what year your spouse passed. Was it 2024? Or 2025?

For the year that your spouse passed away you can file a joint tax return. But for 2025, unless you have a qualified dependent to claim, your filing status changes to Single. It is best to start a new account with a new user ID. It is too difficult to delete the embedded information from a spouse if you use the same account that was used for past joint returns.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/how-do-i-start-another-return-in-turbotax-online/00/25596

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xmasbaby0

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