Two calendars, as facts: the year of death is still usually a joint-return year. The first year after is when filing status and many cliffs often change.

The document stack the meeting needs (death certificate, last two joint 1040s, IRMAA notice, SSA-44, beneficiary forms, date-of-death values).

The 2026 first-single-year cliff map: single vs joint brackets, standard deduction, Medicare premiums, NIIT. Unpublished figures marked UNCONFIRMED.

Why death of a spouse is a listed life-changing event on SSA-44 (what the form is for, not “file this”).

About 40 CPA questions, grouped so you skip what does not apply, plus a printable one-pager you leave on the table.

$97 PDF. Not advice. Not a “file as single / file as qualifying widow” worksheet. Educational only. Take it to a CPA or fiduciary.