It’s now March. The weather is warming up, and if you haven’t done so yet, it’s time to start thinking about filing your income taxes. For many, still in the beginning of their widowhood journey, taxes can feel overwhelming. I understand.
In our home, taxes were always my husband’s job. I was a stay-at-home mom and left him all the money-related tasks. The year after my husband died, I was lost on how to file my taxes. There were so many abbreviations, so many factors, and the stress of consequences if I messed up somewhere. Thanks to some great friends who are accountants, the surprisingly helpful IRS website [IRS.gov] and programs like TurboTax, I figured it out.
I have found services like TurboTax very helpful as a tax rookie, especially at the beginning of my widowhood journey. They cost a little bit of money, but they walk you through the process and make things easier and more manageable. One of my biggest issues with taxes was which filing status to use, so let’s break it down (information gathered from IRS.gov).
The first year after your spouse’s death, keep married filing jointly status. If your spouse was alive for even part of the tax year, you still keep the filing jointly status.
The following tax year after your spouse’s death, as long as you have not remarried, and have a dependent, you can file as a qualifying widow(er). You can do this for two years, giving you the same tax breaks as married filing jointly did.
If you remain single after two years, the head of household status will likely be used. To claim Head of household status, you must provide more than half the cost of maintaining a home and have a qualifying dependent living there for more than half the year.
Taxes and finances, in general, are complicated. The IRS has a great website with many practical and easy-to-understand resources. If you can not find what you are looking for or just don’t understand what you are reading, they even have a chat feature. I was on the phone with the IRS several times that first year after my husband’s death, and they were so kind, putting my anxieties to rest.
Read and ask questions and know that you can do it. This is one more challenge, but you will be so proud of yourself when you are done.
Resources
IRS.gov
Specifically, this page on filling status- https://apps.irs.gov/app/vita/content/globalmedia/4491_filing_status.pdf
About Cindy Schriver
In 2011, Cindy lost her husband of 16 years to a rare form of cancer after a
long and hard-fought battle. Left behind in the whirlwind of grief with three
adolescent children, Cindy had to learn to find herself again and how to
help herself and her children through the journey of grief. Knowing she had
to become the sole provider for her family, Cindy returned to college at 38,
earning a bachelor’s degree in Communications and a master’s degree in
Adult Education. Cindy is currently pursuing her Doctorate and is constantly
looking for new experiences.