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H&R Block tax filing review
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Save money by filing your taxes online or pay a little more to have a professional file for you.
H&R Block offers solutions to file your taxes online, from your computer or in person. And if you need to file a past return, back editions are available for both federal and state programs.$49.99
Federal returns starting price
$44.99
State returns starting price
Details
| Federal returns starting price | $49.99 |
|---|---|
| State returns starting price | $44.99 |
| Maximum return guaranteed? | Yes |
| Payment options | Credit Debit Check Pay with your tax refund |
What options do I have for filing my taxes with H&R Block
H&R Block has several different filing options.Online
H&R Block‘s online filing software lets users file their taxes from any device. Depending on which version you choose, you can get technical support with the online chat feature and/or over the phone.| Features & forms: | Free Online | Deluxe Online | Premium Online | Self-Employed Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal cost | $0 | $49.99 | $69.99 | $104.99 |
| State Additional Fee | $0 | $44.99 | $44.99 | $44.99 |
| Know your price with Price Preview | ||||
| Import last year’s return from TurboTax, TaxAct, Credit Karma, or another tax preparer | ||||
| Snap-a-pic to import your W-2 | ||||
| Import your 1095-A, 1098, 1098-E, 1098-T, 1099-B, 1099-DIV, 1099-INT, and 1099-R | ||||
| Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) | ||||
| Real-time insights into your refund as you go | ||||
| Technical support by chat | ||||
| Self-help via help center | ||||
| Clergy with housing allowance or parsonage | ||||
| Home mortgage interest deductions and real estate taxes (Schedule A) | ||||
| Store all your tax documents and returns in MyBlock for six years | ||||
| Automatic import of last year’s return from H&R Block | ||||
| Optimize tax savings from charitable donations with DeductionPro | ||||
| Technical support by phone | ||||
| Freelance and independent contractor income with simple expenses | ||||
| Stocks, bonds, retirement, and other investment income (Schedule D) | ||||
| Import 1099-B investment income including cost basis | ||||
| Rental property income and tax deductions (Schedule E) | ||||
| Import expenses from popular expense tracker apps like Stride | ||||
| Import Uber driver tax information | ||||
| Self-employment and small business income | ||||
| Business tax deductions and asset depreciation |
With downloadable software
If you’re more comfortable working and storing your data on your computer, H&R Block offers tax software that you can download or purchase in stores.
In person
If you want more personalized help, you can also work with a tax specialist in person or online.
How will I get my refund?
You can choose to get your money back on a prepaid Mastercard, via direct deposit or via check.
If you pay for your tax services up front, you’ll get back the full value of your refund. But you can also take advantage of H&R Block‘s Refund Transfer, which takes the fees for filing your taxes directly out of your refund.
Who is H&R Block for?
Experience with taxes or not, all types of people use H&R Block’s services for a successful experience. Services are known for being user-friendly, and the company does not cram in confusing tax jargon. H&R Block also offers a lot of resources and step-by-step guides.
H&R Block Features
- Filing options. H&R Block gives you the choice of meeting in an office or working with one of the available online or software options.
- Free options. H&R Block boasts being “the land of the free.” If you have a simple tax return like a 1040EZ or 1040A, file your federal and state tax return online for free. You can purchase more complex return software, if needed.
- Refund reveal. In real time, H&R Block lets you see how and why your refund amounts change.
What happens if I’m audited?
How much help you get from H&R Block will depend on how you filed.
If you used the downloadable software, the company will help guide you through the audit process with free in-person support. You can have an agent prepare you for the audit, represent you throughout the process and attend the audit with you.
If you filed your taxes in person, you’ll only get in-person help with an audit if you paid extra for the company’s Peace of Mind plan.
If you filed your taxes online, H&R Block claims that it’ll “give you steps to take to respond,” but it doesn’t clarify what that means. It does clarify that online filers don’t get in-person help or assistance responding to the IRS.
Pros and cons of using H&R Block
Pros
- Easy to use. The company’s software is easy to use and known for yielding accurate returns. It catches mistakes and don’t use confusing tax lingo. The layout is clean and not at all scattered.
- Mobile app. H&R Block’s inclusive app lets you complete your taxes on your smart device — even complicated tax situations that require the Deluxe and Premium packages.
- Bookmarking. As you complete information, you can bookmark sections to come back to later. This feature is convenient if you get confused about something and want to take a fresh look later. However, the software will not let you skip ahead to work on future sections.
- Downloadable. You can download software if you prefer doing your taxes offline.
Cons
- More expensive. In general, H&R Block is not the cheapest tax solution out there. But H&R Block is known for having a relatively good track record with customers.
- Lacks automatic deductions. H&R Block does not automatically suggest deductions as much as other companies and software.
- Additional fees. Look out for the federal refund transfer fee of $39.95 plus a $25 additional fee for disbursement to a paper check.
Compare other services to file taxes online
Updated April 9th, 2020
How do I use H&R Block?
Start by deciding how you want to file — online, in person or by using the downloadable software.
- To file online, go to H&R Block‘s website and click the File online button. Choose an online filing option, and then follow the onscreen prompts to create an account and get started.
- To file online, go to H&R Block‘s website and click the File with a tax pro button. Choose a filing option, and then follow the onscreen prompts to find an office and schedule an appointment
- To get the software, go to H&R Block‘s website, scroll to the bottom of the page and click Tax Software beneath the Ways to file heading. Choose a filing option and follow the onscreen prompts to give your payment information and download the software.