I'm filing for my in-laws where my mother in law died near the end of 2022. It shows that you must create separate returns for this instead of the usual spousal single filing. But the problem is that each return asks for the net income from the other spouse before you start either of them so I can't start either of them.
You can enter an estimate for now, and then put in the actual number before you file.
I have had an unpleasant experience with this issue as well. I am trying to file 2022 for my parents, my mother passed away in March of that year. Running into the same issue you did with the information required to start either return, I (stupidly) downloaded (and paid for) a desktop version, and did my mom's draft return so I could start my dad's in the online version. When you start the returns, TurboTax says:
We're sorry for your loss. We'll do our best to make the preparation of Bill's and Suzy's tax returns as straightforward as possible for you. You'll need to complete Peter's and Jean's returns separately because one of them passed away during the tax year.
You can then choose which return to start first. All of this gives the impression that you can prepare the returns as you would normally do, but one can be e-filed, the other must be printed and mailed. This would be great because then the information required for both returns can be shared and there is no need to enter things in twice on a separate return.
BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS!!!!!!
I completed my father's return and before filing, paid for TWO TurboTax Premier Online 2022 then filed my dad's return. But that's where it ends. ZERO option to continue with my mom's return. I understand the returns have to be completed and filed separately, but, in my opinion, the online version gives you every impression that the returns can at least be prepared together, when it turns out they cannot.
I spent over an hour on the phone talking to a rep about this. All I got in the end was a product code for a free return to do my mom's, having to enter in a bunch of info that should already be there. I am disappointed.
Good luck!
Sorry you had such a tough time with it. After I found out you can just enter an estimate I was ok. They definitely should have had a note saying that. And ya I have no idea why it didn't just let you build them together and then just tell you to print that one at the end. It made no sense, because I lost the income splitting tool by not having them together so had to add that manually to each, and then there was no difference except one to be mailed like you said.