[nascarfansam]

My wife passed away in 2009 how do I fill out the 2009 taxes are we still married filling jointly? Do I still put her name and income in?

[MLSNC]

As long as you have not remarried you can file a joint return for yourself and your deceased spouse. You would still show her name and social security number, and include the income received for her up to the date of death.

[nascarfansam]

Thank you mlsnc so is this something you can only do one yr?

[KISS]

I'll be more specific and refer you to the IRS site where it is answered in detail.

Signing the Return

Yep, it's a 1 year thing.

[Five Rings]

Across the top of the first page of the return you write:
Deceased-Your Wife's Name-Date of Death

If you have a dependent child you may use the "Qualifying Widow(er)" filing status for the two years following the year of your wife's passing.

[JudyKayTee]

My experience was that on the line for "spouse" I wrote my husband's name, SS number and "date of death - x."

This quote without the first sentence loses meaning - "In our system, avoidance of a tax by remaining outside the ambit of the law that imposes it is every person's right. Over and over again, courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging one's affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everybody does so, rich or poor; and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands: taxes are enforced exactions, not voluntary contributions. To demand more in the name of morals is mere cant."

[Five Rings]

Additionally, on the signature line, you sign your name and add "signing as surviving spouse"

Writing across the top as I recommend alerts the IRS to the fact that your spouse will no longer be filing.
Of course you still write her name in the spouse line and put her SS number in the SS box.