I am Turbotax Desktop user. Wife passed away January 2022. Re-married in April 2022.

[holdsg]

Is the suggested action, in order to file new joint return with new spouse, to open new account (even if I'm a Desktop and not an online user?)

If so, how do I start a new account for Desktop user?

[Opus 17]

On the desktop program you would just open a new tax return file without transferring your information from the prior year.  

[rjs]

You do not need a new account. Your tax returns in the desktop software are not connected with your TurboTax account.

[VolvoGirl]

You had 2 spouses in the same year.  It might be tricky.  If you remarried before the end of the tax year, you can file a joint return with your new spouse. Your deceased spouse's filing status is married filing separately for that year.

Start new returns and don't transfer from 2021.  Go up to File-New tax return.

[NCperson]

@holdsg agreed this can be trickly... 

1) definately need a new return, married filing separate for deceased spouse

2) you COULD transfer in your old return, change the deceased spouse info to wife #2 info and delete forms no longer required.  It could save a lot of data entry this way. 

just be careful! 

[dmertz · Accepted solution]

If you do try transferring in your 2021 tax return and deleting any of your previous spouse's information, I suggest first using forms mode to delete the Personal Information Worksheet for your previous spouse and on the Information Worksheet temporarily changing your filing status to Single.  This should cause TurboTax to mark as erroneous at least some of your previous spouse's other information carried in from the 2021 tax return, if any, but it is not guaranteed to mark everything that needs to be deleted.  This will likely not catch uncommon spouse-specific entries on the Carryover Worksheet.  I would then print and check all forms and worksheets before switching back to step-by-step mode, indicating married and filing jointly with your new spouse.  Don't forget to check the information for the state tax return.

I would suggest transferring in your 2021 tax return only if you have a significant amount of your own information carrying forward that would be cumbersome to enter manually.  Certainly with the desktop version you can do a lot of experimentation and comparison using separate tax files.

[holdsg]

I appreciate everyone's input and suggestions.

I do have unique things (small business, depreciation carry forwards, etc.) that would be cumbersome to enter again, so I am likely to try the suggestion to transfer information and then delete what might be for my late wife. She did not have any income in the last full year of her life 2021, so that might be a little easier to deal with than re-constituting all of my stuff.

thanks again,

Gary