My spouse died. What should I do? As a widow or widower, you may file a joint tax return with your deceased spouse for the tax year in which he or she died, provided that you do not remarry within that tax year. If there is a remarriage within that time, it may be possible to file your tax return jointly with your new spouse if all other requirements are met. Generally, a surviving spouse with dependent children is entitled to file a tax return using the married filing jointly tax tables for the two tax years following the tax year in which the spouse died. If you are a surviving spouse filing a joint tax return and no personal representative has been appointed, you should sign the tax return and write in the signature area, "filing as surviving spouse." The final tax return should have the word "Deceased," the decedent's name, and the date of death written across the top of the tax return. Related tax information about IRS tax returns for decedents IRS publications about tax returns for decedents: For additional information about tax returns for decedents, see IRS Tax Topic 356, Decedents. Also see IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax.