Two things change for a surviving spouse in the same year.
In a hypothetical I walk through with couples, a husband and wife, 70 and 68, have two Social Security checks and file jointly. When one of them passes, the smaller Social Security check stops.
The next tax return is filed as single. Same house, often the same required withdrawals, but generally a lower income landing in brackets that are reached sooner.
This is the part most plans skip, because it's uncomfortable to plan for. It's also one of the few things that can be planned for while both spouses are here.
The trade-off is that planning for the survivor sometimes means paying some tax earlier, on purpose, while two people are still filing together. Whether that's worth it depends entirely on the household.
Has anyone shown you what your plan looks like as a single filer?
The Income Order Review is 30 minutes on Zoom; I map the survivor picture alongside the rest of the order, and your tax professional decides the numbers.
Educational only; hypothetical example. Filing-status effects are general and depend on individual circumstances; consult a qualified tax professional.
My website: www.dwfinancialgroup.com
