Many question come up about the “Signing the of a Tax Return” for a decedent.

Question: My husband passed away last year, and I will be filing a joint return. Are there any special return notations required to indicate my husband is deceased?

Answer: If you are a surviving spouse filing a joint return and no personal representative has been appointed, you should sign the return and write in the signature area, “filing as surviving spouse.”

The final return should have the word “Deceased,” the decedent’s name, and the date of death written across the top of the return.