You make the call

Question: Joan and Rowland filed their Form 1040 jointly for the duration of their marriage as married filing jointly. Rowland died in early 2020 and Joan remarried in late 2020. Does Joan file her 2020 federal tax return with Roland or with her new husband?

Answer: Joan will file her Form 1040 with her new husband. They will file married filing jointly or married filing separately. When your spouse dies during the tax year, the surviving spouse is considered married for the whole year for federal tax purposes, unless the surviving spouse remarries. If the taxpayer remarries before the end of the tax year, the taxpayer will file a joint return with the new spouse.