topic Should I file as a widow or married filing jointly as my husband passed away in March of 2024 in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Should I file as a widow or married filing jointly as my husband passed away in March of 2024

lpowers1226 — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 15:03:34 GMT

Re: Should I file as a widow or married filing jointly as my husband passed away in March of 2024

DoninGA — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 15:05:51 GMT

If you do not have a dependent child then you would file as Single on your 2025 tax return.

Re: Should I file as a widow or married filing jointly as my husband passed away in March of 2024

MindyB — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 15:06:07 GMT

I am very sorry for your loss. It depends on whether you have a dependent child living with you. If you do have a dependent child, you may be eligible to file as a Qualifying Surviving Spouse, which is an advantageous status because it allows you to continue using the Married Filing Jointly tax rates and standard deduction for the two years following your husband's death. However, if you do not have a dependent child, you will file as Single this year.

Re: Should I file as a widow or married filing jointly as my husband passed away in March of 2024

xmasbaby0 — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 15:09:31 GMT

So sorry for your loss. If your spouse passed in 2024, you could file a joint return for 2024. Now for your 2025 return---- only if you have qualified dependent children---you can file as a qualified surviving spouse. If you do not have a qualifying dependent child, then you will now file Single.

When your filing status changes to Single, you should start a new account with a new user ID. If you use the old account that was used for past year joint returns, the embedded spouse information will cause lots of errors for you.

Start a new account with a different email, account and user ID. Keep a record of how to access the old account; returns will be saved in that account for seven years.

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

https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/online/file-your-own-taxes/