I am so confused and time is running out!

[ekklesia01]

My husband of 34 years died in May 2024, I was 66 years old and turned 67 in March of 2025. I then started getting part of my husbands pension which has insurance and taxes held out automatically.  The Social Security then stopped my SS payments which were lower than my husbands and started paying me his. So I am trying to find out if 1. Do I list the pension as income?  2. file married or single?   The IRS says If you are 65 or over at the end of 2024, and gross income is $30,750 or more and you are a qualifying surviving spouse then you must file. So I make less then that amount and friends and family are telling me I do not need to file this year but I will have to file next year. So am I considered a qualifying  surviving spouse? and if so do I have to file or not? 

Thank you 

Ruth

[xmasbaby0]

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 $29,200 (+ $1550 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.  If you do not have a qualified dependent child then for 2025 your filing status will be single if you need to file.   Post back if you need further help.

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

https://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/tax-planning-2/tax-implications-for-taxpayers-who-have-lost-a-spous...

[Vanessa A]

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.