Norton's spouse died in 2018. Norton has one child, age 7, living at home. Norton provides all of the support for the child. The child lives with Norton during 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Norton's most advantageous filing status is

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Norton can file as Married Filing Jointly for the year his spouse died (2018). For the next two years (2019 and 2020), he qualifies as a Surviving Spouse (also known as Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child) because he has a dependent child living with him and provides all the support. By 2021, he no longer qualifies as a Surviving Spouse, so his most advantageous status would be Head of Household, assuming he meets the requirements.

Norton's Spouse Died in 2018