How do I qualify as a widow/widower for tax purposes?

First of all, you can file jointly for the tax year in which your spouse died. For the two subsequent years, you can file as a qualifying widower (with the better tax rate), if you meet the following conditions: 1) you were entitled to file jointly in the year that your spouse died; 2) you did not remarry; 3) you have a child, stepchild, or a foster child that you can claim as an exemption; and 4) you paid more than half the cost of maintaining a home that was the main home for that child.