What filing status should my widowed sister use after husband died in February?

Thank you for the compassionate response. So just to be clear, for the 2024 tax year (filing in 2025), she can still use Married Filing Jointly even though he was only alive for a short time this year? That feels like a small relief for her. What about his Social Security benefits that she started receiving after his death - does that affect anything?

Yes, that's correct. For the 2024 tax year (the return she'll file in 2025), she can still use Married Filing Jointly even though her husband was only alive for a short time this year. The IRS allows this for the entire year of death, regardless of when during the year the spouse passed away. Regarding Social Security survivor benefits, these may be taxable depending on her overall income. When filing a joint return for 2024, she'll include any taxable portion of these benefits. The taxation of Social Security benefits is determined by adding half of the Social Security benefits to all other income and comparing it to the base amounts. It doesn't affect her filing status eligibility, but it is something to be aware of when preparing her return.

Did they actually have a real person review your documents or was it just some AI thing? I'm helping my mom with a similar situation and want to make sure she gets actual professional advice, not just computer-generated stuff.

How long did it take to get answers from them? I'm trying to help my sister figure out her taxes after her wife passed, and we need answers pretty quickly since she's trying to adjust her withholding at work.

They use AI to analyze the documents first, but then they have tax professionals who review everything and provide the final guidance. It's the best of both worlds - the efficiency of AI with the reassurance of human expertise. The recommendations felt very personalized to my situation, not generic advice. The turnaround was surprisingly quick. I uploaded my documents in the evening and had comprehensive answers by the next afternoon. They prioritize time-sensitive situations like recent deaths or major life changes, which I really appreciated. They'll definitely be able to help with withholding adjustments quickly.

Wait, how does this actually work? The IRS phone lines are notoriously impossible to get through. Is this some kind of special connection service or something?

Sounds like a scam tbh. Why would you need a service to call the IRS? I doubt they have any special access the rest of us don't have. Probably just charging money for something you could do yourself if you're persistent enough.

It's a service that uses technology to navigate the IRS phone system for you. They basically wait on hold so you don't have to. They call the IRS, work through all the prompts and wait times, and then when they finally get a representative on the line, they connect you directly to that person. It saved me hours of frustration. No, it's definitely not a scam. They don't pretend to be you or anything like that - they just handle the waiting part. When an actual IRS representative picks up, you're the one who talks to them directly. I was skeptical too until I tried it. After spending almost two weeks trying to get through on my own with no success, they got me connected in minutes. For someone dealing with a deceased spouse situation where you have specific questions that only the IRS can answer, it was incredibly helpful.

Thank you for mentioning that! We wouldn't have known about needing to check a box or write "DECEASED" on the return. Is there any special documentation we need to include with the tax return to prove he passed away? And who can sign as the personal representative if my sister doesn't want to?

You don't typically need to attach a death certificate to the tax return, but keep it available in case the IRS requests it later. As for signing, if your sister doesn't want to sign as the surviving spouse (which is the easiest option), then whoever is named as the executor or personal representative in the will or by the court can sign. They would sign the deceased's name followed by "By [their name], Personal Representative." If there isn't an appointed representative yet, it's usually easier for your sister to just sign as the surviving spouse. When filing electronically through TurboTax, they'll guide her through this process - there's usually a specific question about deceased taxpayers in the interview process.

The 9 month marriage requirement isn't always needed. If the death was accidental or occurred in the line of duty as an active member of the armed forces, the 9-month requirement is waived. Also, if they have a child together, that can change the requirements too.