Husband died on March 19, 2022, should I file a joint return for 2022?

[woods.elise]

My husband died on March 19, 2022 and we filed our taxes as married filing jointly in 2021.  I understand that I can file as married for 2022 but is that also true for 2023?  I have no dependents in the home.   

[emina]

Hello! Happy to assist!

Sorry about your loss.

You are correct, your filing status for the year that the spouse died is Married filing jointly.

For 2023, your status will be single if you do not have any qualifying dependents. If you get married in 2023, then, of course, your status is married filing jointly. 

Here is the exact info from the IRS website :

What if a spouse died during the tax year? Remember, taxpayers whose spouses died during the tax year are considered married for the entire year, provided they did not remarry. The surviving spouse is eligible to file as Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately. Surviving spouses who have remarried must file with the new spouse, either jointly or separately. The deceased spouse’s filing status becomes Married Filing Separately. Surviving spouses who have a dependent child may be able to use the Qualifying Widow(er) status in the two tax years following the year of the spouse’s death. 

Here is another helpful IRS link on the topic: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/how-to-file-a-final-tax-return-for-someone-who-has-passed-away

[woods.elise]

Do I complete my spouse's taxes the same as in 2021?   He was employed, but only had income from January through mid March of 2022.   Do I sign on his behalf?  I am receiving survivor social security benefits and survivor pension from his two previous employers.  I am retired and receiving a pension but don't intend to take social security benefits until I am 70 (68 now).   We have a home mortgage, what is the standard deduction for married vs single filers?  

[emina]

Correct, you would enter all of his income earned in 2022 on your joint return. 

When entering your spouse's personal info in TurboTax, there will be a checkbox to mark that your spouse passed away in 2022. You will be asked to enter the date.

According to the IRS:

Who should sign the return

When e-filing, the surviving spouse or representative should follow the directions provided by the software for the correct signature and notation requirements. For paper returns, the filer should write the word deceased, the deceased person's name and the date of death across the top. Here's who should sign the return:

• Any appointed representative must sign the return. If it's a joint return, the surviving spouse must also sign it.
• If there isn't an appointed representative, the surviving spouse filing a joint return should sign the return and write in the signature area labeled, filing as surviving spouse.
• If there's no appointed representative and no surviving spouse, the person in charge of the deceased person's property must file and sign the return as "personal representative."

Reference link: IRS website

Standard deduction for 2022 for married couples filing jointly is $25,900, 65 or over $27,300 Blind: $28,700. 

For single taxpayers, the standard deduction is $12,950 for 2022, 65 or older $14,700 Blind: $16,450.

I would suggest confirming the amounts with the IRS periodically, the information they currently have on their website is not 100% complete.