Although there are no additional tax breaks for widows, using the qualifying widow status means your standard deduction will be double the single status amount. Unless you qualify for something else, youll usually file as single in the year after your spouse dies.

Is a widow single or unmarried?

Single: When used as a marital status category, “single” is the sum of “never-married,” “widowed,” and “divorced” people.

Does widowed mean unmarried?

A man whose spouse has died is typically called a widower, while a woman is a widow. Both men and women can be described with the adjective widowed if their partners are no longer alive.