My spouse died in June 2021. I had used "Married file jointly" filing status in 2021 and I did not re-marry. What is my best filing status for 2022?

[aleetaxreturn]

I am not sure to use "Single" status or "Widow" status for 2022 filing.

[Critter-3]

Your options are single which  is the default.  However if you have qualifying dependents on your return you can use Qualifying Widower for the 2 tax years   after the year of death.   Simply follow the MY INFO screens ... first it asks for your MARITAL status which is widow and if you enter qualifying dependents on the return it will suggest you use QW as the FILING status.  

[xmasbaby0]

So sorry for your loss.   Since your spouse passed away in 2021, when you filed your 2021 tax return it was fine to file a joint return.    When you file your 2022 return next year in 2023, you will file Single, unless you have dependent children.   If you have dependent children then you can file as a Qualified Widow(er) for the next two years following the loss of your spouse.

[Opus 17]

IRS uses the following:

A qualified widow/widower is someone widowed in the past 2 years who also cares for a qualifying person, usually a child dependent.

Head of household is for an unmarried person who also cares for a qualifying person, usually a child dependent.  If you have a qualifying person, you can use qualifying widower for 2022 and 2023, and head of household after that.

If you are unmarried and have no qualifying dependents, your filing status with the IRS will be single.

Turbotax has more options for people to describe their situation than the IRS does.  It's fine to tell Turbotax you are a widow.  If you don't have a qualifying dependent, Turbotax will put "single" on your actual tax return.

One other important note.  If you have been using Turbotax online, you will need to create a new account in 2022, and you can't import your old tax returns or re-use your old account.  There are forms and worksheets that will refer to your spouse and the web site doesn't delete them even if you tell the site your spouse died.  So you need to make a new, "clean" account going forward. 

[Critter-3]

FYI ... a new account is only needed if the primary taxpayer on the prior year return has passed.   If the spouse passed you can simply delete any of the forms related to that decedent fairly easily.  

[Ms-GAM]

OK, I have the same issue, but we had NO dependents. Can WE get a straight answer, please.

[MarilynG1]

With no dependents, use 'Single' filing status.  TurboTax should choose that automatically for you, based on your interview answers in the My Info/Personal Info section. 

Sorry for your loss.

@Ms-GAM 

[VolvoGirl]

---

@Ms-GAM wrote:

OK, I have the same issue, but we had NO dependents. Can WE get a straight answer, please.

---

You don't have a child.  But if you did........

You can file a Joint return 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.

See the eligibility rules on page 9 of IRS publication 501

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p501.pdf

See Turbo Tax help article

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/how-should-i-file-my-return-if-my-spouse-recen...