How to File Taxes After the Death of a Spouse
Losing a spouse can be an incredibly challenging time. Amidst the emotional turmoil, there's the daunting task of dealing with finances and filing income taxes at the end of the year. Facing the aftermath of a loved one's death is challenging, and dealing with income tax returns can add to the stress. However, the steps outlined here can make the process more straightforward.
Step #1- Identify the filing status
The first step in filing income taxes after the death of a spouse involves determining your filing status. If your spouse passed away during the tax year, the IRS still considers you married for the entire year for tax purposes. Therefore, you must file a joint return using the "Married Filing Jointly" status.
However, if you have dependent children, you may be able to use the "Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child" status for two years following the death, granting you the same benefits as a joint return. A financial or tax professional can help determine the filing status for your situation and clarify any questions you may have.
Even if your spouse filed married filing separately, income taxes must be filed for the year of their death.
Step #2- Gather the necessary documents
After establishing the filing status, compile all necessary tax documents for the year. These may include:
- W-2s
- 1099s,
- 1098 (mortgage interest statement)
- and more
Be sure to gather tax forms your spouse would have received during the year up until their death. Prior-year tax returns may aid in determining deductions or credits used to claim exemptions that qualify this year.
Step #3- Report all income
You must report the income your deceased spouse received before death on the joint return. Also, the income received after death, such as dividends or interest from property, must be reported on your spouse's final return. Be sure to include any Social Security benefits or retirement distributions received.
Step #4- Claiming tax deductions and credits
You can claim the same deductions and tax credits as when your spouse was alive. These may include deductions for mortgage interest, tax preparation fees, and medical expenses not reimbursed by health insurance. The IRS limits some of these deductions and tax credits depending on income. For this reason, visit with a tax professional to understand which deductions and tax credits your household qualifies for.
Step #5- Sign on behalf of your spouse
While signing your spouse's final return, use your name, followed by "filing as surviving spouse." If the tax return is a joint return, sign it once on your behalf and then again on behalf of your deceased spouse.
Considerations for Estates
It's legal to sign for a deceased spouse only if you are the executor or administrator of their estate. Due to the complexity of filing these returns correctly, seeking professional guidance is essential to avoid errors.
Financial, legal, and tax professionals specializing in estate planning can help work toward complying with tax regulations and avoid potential mistakes that could lead to penalties or unnecessary stress. Additionally, depending on the size and complexity of the estate, a federal estate tax return. The IRS provides guidelines about who must file this return and what it should include.
Let's Team Up
Since some states require an estate tax return, seek assistance from financial and tax professionals, and don’t try to face the tax filing challenge alone.
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax advice. We suggest that you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax advisor.
The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. This material was developed and produced by FMG Suite to provide information on a topic that may be of interest. FMG, LLC, is not affiliated with the named broker-dealer, state- or SEC-registered investment advisory firm. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information and should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security.
This material was prepared by Fresh Finance for the Investment Service Center’s use.
Copyright FMG Suite.
For markets, the first quarter has felt like déjà vu. Just like last year, the quarter was marked by sharp swings; only this time, it was the war in the Middle East, not tariffs, keeping investors on edge and volatility elevated. That said, both episodes fueled the same concern: upside risk to inflation, and that has weighed on returns.
Looking at performance across asset classes in 1Q26, all but commodities have shed gains since the war broke out in late February. Within equities, valuations corrected across the board, but U.S. large cap struggled in particular, dragged lower by the Mag 7 (-15%) as concerns grew over the payback from ever-increasing AI capex. Small cap fared better, as investors continue to expect a sharp acceleration in earnings growth. Internationally, emerging markets continued to outperform developed market peers, led by markets such as Korea and Taiwan that are benefiting from AI-related capex. Turning to fixed income, yields rose roughly 35bps since the start of the year, weighing on returns as near-term inflation concerns again came to the fore, driven largely by higher energy prices. Commodities, meanwhile, stood out as the best-performing asset class, though with wide dispersion — energy gained as oil prices surged nearly 75% year-to-date, while precious metals lost steam.
Last year’s rocky start faded quickly, with markets finishing strong — a reminder that in markets, winters are often short and summers long. Therefore, investors would be wise to use the recent dislocations in the market to position portfolios for structural growth themes that are likely to persist long after the conflict in the Middle East is resolved.
Chart of the Week: Source: Bloomberg, FactSet, MSCI, NAREIT, FTSE Russell, Standard and Poor's, J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Data are as of March 27, 2026.
Thought of the Week: Source: Bloomberg, FactSet, MSCI, NAREIT, FTSE Russell, Standard and Poor's, J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Data are as of March 27, 2026.
Abbreviations: Cons. Sent.: University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index; CPI: Consumer Price Index; EIA: Energy Information Agency; FHFA HPI: - Federal Housing Finance Authority House Price Index; FOMC: Federal Open Market Committee; GDP: gross domestic product; HPI: Home Price Index; HMI: Housing Market Index; ISM Mfg. Index: Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing Index; PCE: Personal consumption expenditures; Philly Fed Survey: Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey; PMI: Purchasing Managers' Manufacturing Index; PPI: Producer Price Index; SAAR: Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate
Index: Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing Index; PCE: Personal consumption expenditures; Philly Fed Survey: Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey; PMI: Purchasing Managers' Manufacturing Index; PPI: Producer Price Index; SAAR: Seasonally
Adjusted Annual Rate
MSCI EAFE is a Morgan Stanley Capital International Index that is designed to measure the performance of the developed stock markets of Europe, Australasia, and the Far East.
Bond Returns: All returns represent total return. Index: Bloomberg US Aggregate; provided by: Bloomberg Capital. Index: Bloomberg Investment Grade Credit; provided by: Bloomberg Capital. Index: Bloomberg Municipal Bond 10 Yr; provided by: Blomberg Capital. Index: Bloomberg Capital High Yield Index; provided by: Bloomberg Capital.
Key Interest Rates: 2 Year Treasury, FactSet; 10 Year Treasury, FactSet; 30 Year Treasury, FactSet; 10 Year German Bund, FactSet. 3 Month LIBOR, British Bankers’ Association; 3 Month EURIBOR, European Banking Federation; 6 Month CD, Federal Reserve; 30 Year Mortgage, Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA); Prime Rate: Federal Reserve.
Commodities: Gold, FactSet; Crude Oil (WTI), FactSet; Gasoline, FactSet; Natural Gas, FactSet; Silver, FactSet; Copper, FactSet; Corn, FactSet. Bloomberg Commodity Index (BBG Idx), Bloomberg Finance L.P.
information from FactSet's Pricing database as provided by MSCI. Russell 1000 Value Index,
Style Returns: Style box returns based on Russell Indexes with the exception of the Large-Cap Blend box, which reflects the S&P 500 Index. All values are cumulative total return for stated period including the reinvestment of dividends. The Index used from L to R,
top to bottomare: Russell 1000 Value Index (Measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to book ratios and lower forecasted growth values), S&P 500 Index (Index represents the 500 Large Cap portion of the stockmarket, and
is comprised of 500 stocks as selected by the S&P Index Committee), Russell 1000 Growth Index (Measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values), Russell Mid Cap Value Index (Measures
the performance of those Russell Mid Cap companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values), Russell Mid Cap Index (The Russell Midcap Index includes the smallest 800 securities in the Russell 1000), Russell Mid Cap Growth Index (Measures the performance of those Russell Mid Cap companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values), Russell 2000 Value Index (Measures the performance of those Russell 2000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values), Russell 2000 Index (The Russell 2000 includes the smallest 2000 securities in the Russell 3000), Russell 2000 Growth Index (Measures the performance of those Russell
2000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values).
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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Unless otherwise stated, all data is as of March 30, 2026 or as of most recently available.
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