Deceased spouse

[bullfrog531945]

My wife died last year and I indicated this on my 2023 taxes.  I heard that I can still file a Married Joint return for 2024.    Is that true?

[Bsch4477 · Accepted solution]

No. File as single unless you qualify for Surviving Spouse. 

To qualify for the Qualifying Surviving Spouse filing status, you must meet these four requirements:

• You qualified for Married Filing Jointly with your spouse for the year they died. (It doesn’t matter if you actually filed as Married Filing Jointly.)
• You didn’t remarry.
• You have a child, stepchild, or adopted child you claim as your tax dependent. This doesn’t apply to a foster child.
• You paid more than half the cost of maintaining your home. This must be the main home of your dependent child for the entire year, except for temporary absences.

[VolvoGirl · Accepted solution]

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. And then next year start over with a new return and new account.

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