Norton's spouse died in 2017.Norton has one child,age 7,living at home.Norton provides all of the support for the child.The child lives with Norton during 2017,2018,2019,and 2020.Norton's most advantageous filing status is

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Norton can file as "Married filing jointly" in 2017 because the spouse died that year. For the two years following the spouse's death (2018 and 2019), Norton can file as a "Surviving Spouse" since he has a dependent child. In 2020, Norton should file as "Head of Household" because the "Surviving Spouse" status is only available for two years following the spouse's death.

Norton's Spouse Died in 2017