topic Widowed and need for a new TT Account in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Widowed and need for a new TT Account

partymom44 — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 04:29:23 GMT

I was widowed in 2024 and filed taxes for that year as MFJ. I'm filing single this year, 2025, no minor children. I have done the taxes for a long time but he was still listed as the Primary person.

1. SETTING UP A NEW TT Account: We used my email and my phone number within that account even though I was the second person listed on the joint return, and his SSN was used as the primary one for filing purposes. Will having my phone and email on the original TT account make it difficult for me to set up a new account (which I understand is what I need to do in order to have a clean slate?

2. CARRYOVER LOSSES: Since I must set up a new account, am I to assume that I will no longer be able to benefit from the carryover losses incurred in the past?

Thanks for your time.

Re: Widowed and need for a new TT Account

VolvoGirl — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 05:46:27 GMT

Sorry for your loss. I lost my husband in 2023.
You can file a Joint return as normal the year your spouse died. For the next two years following a husband's or wife's death, the surviving spouse can file as a qualifying widow or widower if they have a qualifying child. That basically lets you continue to use the same tax brackets that apply to married-filing-jointly returns. After the year of death if you don't have a child you file as Single. To file Single you have to start over with a new return and new account. And don't transfer from the Joint return.

See How to file if your spouse recently died
https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/small-business-processes/file-return-spouse-recently-died/L5ehM358X_US_en_US?uid=lcuxmxwq

You can start another return in TurboTax Online by:
Logging out if you are in your account
Choose what TurboTax Online product you want to use for the second return
https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/compare/online

Create your account screen
Set up a new login for the second return
Start working on the new return

I think you can continue taking the Capital Loss Carryover. You can manually enter it.

Re: Widowed and need for a new TT Account

Pmom — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:44:55 GMT

Sorry for your loss as well. I set up the new account, reinput everything, and am ready to file. This window's penalty is awful.