Where do I indicate that my spous died prior to filing my 2016 return?

[JohnR · Accepted solution]

  If your spouse died in 2016, you should also file jointly with your late spouse unless you remarried in 2016. In that case, you'd file a joint return with your new spouse and file your deceased spouse's return as Married Filing Separately.

There's no reason to change the name order on a joint return filed with a deceased spouse. When you enter or review his or her info, just make sure you check Passed away before filing this return and enter the date of passing.

Changing the name order is not necessary and may cause delays in processing your tax return.