Tax Return for Widows

Not all widows and widowers are entitled to file using the head of household tax filing status or the qualifying widow or widower tax filing status. Some widows or widowers need to file as single taxpayers while others need to file as married filing separately taxpayers.

For a widow or widower

• whose spouse died more than 2 years ago and
• who did not pay more than half the cost of keeping up the home for the entire tax year and
• who was entitled to file a joint return with the deceased spouse in the year of his or her death

Then the taxpayer may be filing as a qualifying widow or widower with qualifying child or filing as a head of household.

  YES 

 NO

  YES

 NO