After up to two years of filing as a qualifying widow, a surviving spouse will file as single, resulting in higher taxes on the same income, an increased risk of Medicare surcharges, and a larger portion of their Social Security benefits being taxed.
"After that, she'll file as single, and that's when the widow's penalty hits. That means paying more in taxes on the same income simply because she's filing single, plus a higher risk of Medicare search charges and more of her social security being taxed."
