My spouse died in January 2022. How does this affect my 2021 return?

The death of a spouse after the end of a tax year does not directly impact tax reporting. The surviving spouse may file a joint return. The decedent’s personal representative must consent to this, but because the surviving spouse usually fills this role, consent is automatic. The surviving spouse may choose the filing status of “married filing separately” and, if so, the personal representative may need to file a separate return on behalf of the decedent. If filing a paper return for joint filing status, sign on behalf of the deceased spouse with the notation after the spouse’s name “deceased.”