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What to Do When Your Spouse Dies: A Checklist

Figures verified November 9, 2026 against Social Security: Survivors Benefits (Publication 05-10008) · Update log

Short answer

In the first days, get the death pronounced and choose a funeral home, which usually reports the death to Social Security. In the first month, apply for survivor benefits and the $255 death payment, claim life insurance and retitle joint accounts.

In the months after, retitle the house, decide whether to roll their IRA into yours, and file the joint tax return for the year of death. You are not personally liable for your spouse's debts unless you signed for them, with some exceptions in community property states.

The checklist

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The first days

Nothing here is a legal deadline. Lean on family and the funeral home.

  1. In a hospital or hospice the staff do this. At home, call 911 or the hospice nurse.

  2. The funeral home usually reports the death to Social Security for you and orders the death certificates.

  3. Banks, insurers, the county recorder and the IRS may each want one.

  4. Lock up valuables, keep paying the mortgage, rent, utilities and insurance, and collect the mail; it shows you the accounts and bills.

  5. Check home files, a safe deposit box and their lawyer. Don't pay their debts from your own money yet.

The first month

Money and benefits.

  1. Confirm the death was reported, ask about survivor benefits and the $255 payment, and return any benefit paid for the month of death. Details below.

  2. Ask for final pay, unused leave, group life insurance, pension survivor benefits and health coverage for you and the children.

  3. Send each insurer a claim form and a death certificate. Payouts to a named beneficiary don't go through probate and aren't income.

  4. Joint accounts with right of survivorship become yours with a death certificate. Accounts in their name alone are part of the estate.

  5. If you were on their employer plan, you can usually keep it under COBRA for a time. Compare with a Marketplace plan; losing coverage is a qualifying event.

  6. Cards in their name alone should be closed. Keep the house and car insurance paid and move the policies into your name.

The first few months

The estate, the house and retirement accounts.

  1. If everything was joint, had a beneficiary or was in a trust, it may not. Small estates can use a small estate affidavit. Otherwise see how to become executor.

  2. Joint property with survivorship: record the death certificate (and any affidavit your county requires) with the county recorder. Property passed by a transfer on death deed works the same way.

  3. If you are on the title as a co-owner, take the title and usually a death certificate to the motor vehicle office. If the car was in their name alone, several states have a short form just for a surviving spouse: see how to transfer a car title after death.

  4. As the spouse you can roll it into your own IRA or keep it as an inherited IRA. An inherited IRA lets you withdraw before 59½ without the 10% penalty, so compare before you roll over.

  5. Statements for the date of death and an appraisal of the house set the new tax basis. See the stepped-up basis calculator.

  6. Ask Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to mark their file as deceased, to prevent identity theft.

The first year and after

Taxes and your own plans.

  1. You can still file jointly for the year your spouse died. See final tax returns.

  2. Filing Form 706 for your spouse lets you keep their unused federal exemption on top of your own $15 million. Estates that were not otherwise required to file can elect portability late, up to the fifth anniversary of the death, under Rev. Proc. 2022-32.

  3. With a dependent child living with you, you can file as a qualifying surviving spouse for the 2 years after the year of death, using the joint rates.

  4. Your spouse is probably named on your will, life insurance and retirement accounts. Name new beneficiaries and a new executor.

How to notify Social Security of a death

  • The funeral home usually reports it. Give them your spouse's Social Security number. Otherwise call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit a local office. You can't report a death online.
  • Return the payment for the month of death. Social Security pays a month behind, so the payment that arrives in the month after the death has to go back. If it was direct deposited, ask the bank to return it; if it was a check, don't cash it.
  • The $255 lump-sum death payment goes to a surviving spouse who lived with the person, or to a spouse living apart who was getting benefits on their record. If you aren't already getting benefits on their record, apply within 2 years of the death.
  • Survivor benefits. You can claim from age 60, from 50 if you are disabled, or at any age if you care for their child under 16 or a disabled child. Unmarried children under 18 (19 if still in high school) can claim too. If you already get a spouse's benefit, it usually changes to a survivor benefit automatically.

Your spouse's debts

Debts in your spouse's name alone are paid from their estate, not by you. You are responsible for joint accounts and loans you co-signed. In the community property states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin), property you own together may have to be used for their debts, and some states make a spouse liable for certain debts such as medical care. If the estate can't pay everything, state law sets which debts are paid first; the executor shouldn't pay anyone until that is clear.

Being an authorized user on their credit card doesn't make you liable for the balance. A debt collector can't say or imply that you have to pay from your own money if you don't.

Optional: get help filing

Get a flat-fee quote for the estate's tax returns

The final Form 1040, the estate's Form 1041 and any state return are the parts executors most often hand off. Leave your email and the rough estate size, and a CPA or Enrolled Agent who prepares estate returns will reply with a fixed price. Free, and no obligation.

Add details (optional, helps the CPA price it)

We pass your request to an independent CPA or Enrolled Agent who prepares these returns. We may be paid a referral fee by the professional; it never changes the price you are quoted. This is not legal or tax advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first thing to do when your spouse dies?

Get the death legally pronounced, then contact a funeral home. The funeral home usually handles the death certificates and reports the death to Social Security. Financial decisions can wait a few days.

Do I have to report my spouse's death to Social Security?

The funeral home usually does it if you give them your spouse's Social Security number. If not, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Deaths can't be reported online.

Am I responsible for my spouse's debts?

Generally no. Their debts are paid from their estate. You are responsible for debts you signed for or held jointly, and in community property states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin) community property may be used to pay them. Some states also make a spouse liable for certain debts such as medical care.

What happens to joint bank accounts when a spouse dies?

An account held jointly with right of survivorship becomes yours. Bring the bank a certified death certificate to take their name off. It doesn't go through probate.

Can I sell the house after my spouse dies?

Yes, once it is in your name. You can exclude up to $500,000 of gain if you sell within 2 years of the death, haven't remarried and meet the ownership and use tests, counting your spouse's time in the home.

Sources

  1. 1.Social Security: Survivors Benefits (Publication 05-10008)ssa.gov
  2. 2.Social Security Handbook § 1517: time limit for the lump-sum death paymentssa.gov
  3. 3.CFPB: Am I responsible for my spouse's debts after they die?consumerfinance.gov
  4. 4.IRS: Publication 501, Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Informationirs.gov
  5. 5.IRS: Publication 590-B, Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangementsirs.gov
  6. 6.IRS: Publication 523, Selling Your Homeirs.gov

This information is provided for educational purposes only and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Consult a qualified tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.