The couple that I had this year, I just checked the box for filing as surviving spouse and I didn't have anything else popping up for court orders or any other silliness. Anything unusual on the return?

Nope its a pretty standard return....I havent been prompted to check the surviving spouse box before either....maybe I should go back and dig up a different one with a deceased spouse (geez if I can remember who it was, there had to be at least one) and see if it shows an error now, maybe an update at some point made a change.

I just tried a MFJ,  1 w2  sp dec'd 2022 w refund.....   just the questions 'Court Order'  NO   Filing Sur Sp   YES

no errors... final review is fine. 

well dang it!   Maybe I'll reanimate the wife, save and exit  and bump her off later and see if it happens again!  LOL

Or maybe I cant just get it though by turning off error checking

It is working for me too.

The fact it is NOT prompting you to check the box for Surviving Spouse may indicate that it somehow thinks there is a court order or something, and that is what it wants you to attach.

I'm glad you figured it out.

But I'm still wondering why it isn't prompting you to check the surviving spouse box.

Oh, wait, it does light up pink.  Ive never had to check a box before in the past for surviving spouse though.