Your opinion of H&R Block?

[aristocatz]

I am looking for an inexpensive and decent place to do my taxes this year.

I was thinking about going to H&R Block. My return is definitely not a complicated one.

How much do they charge and do you like them? Again, it's a pretty simple return.

Thanks!

 

[Sparx]

I highly suggest turbotax online. It has a free component, which is definitely better than the H&R block loan.

 

[tasha99]

Either your taxes are difficult and you should get a CPA, or they're not and you can just use turbotax.

 

[luvsJack]

H&R Block is not cheap. A lot (not all) of their preparers are very well trained and some (not all) have as much training in taxes as a CPA and they will go with you to an audit; but I would only use them for a complicated return because of the price.

BTW, you don't have to do a loan with them to get your money. You can get it the same way you can with any return; direct deposit or a check mailed to you. They offer several products other than doing returns and will try to sell you most of them; but you are not required to buy any of it just because you get them to do your taxes.

 

[melisandes]

I am going to add in my voice for turbotax online type set up. Its what we use every year and it works great for us. Even with things like DS med bills and other stuff it is still so easy to do.

 

[ElliePeters]

Go with Turbotax.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My sister starting working there as an office manager. I am trying to remember the prices. It is was not too bad, like an EZ was 60 bucks or something like that. It depends on which form you are filing and what you need.

Now granted someone with an EZ should be able to fill it out with no trouble, however she said a lot of people would come in with one.

That being said, get the TurboTax.

 

[disneyworldaddict]

No to H&R. I used them a few years ago and they cost a lot.

 

[heart4pooh]

I've used taxslayer.com for my 22 yr olds for the past few years. Fed is free and it's 9.95 for the state return. His refunds are directly deposited in his bank account. Easy peasy!

 

[luvmy3]

H&R Block's experts are just people who are using a program similiar to what you would do on your own with Turbo Tax, don't let the commercials fool you.

I have had a bad experience with them, I have pretty basic stuff but when it came to some investments in my children's names they had no idea what to do. They had screwed it up and when I mentioned they did it wrong they didn't know how to fix it. The guy had to call a manager at another site and he didn't even know what to do. To their defense, they did have me go (to a different branch) to have it fixed and they refunded my entire fee. Had I not known enough to know they were doing it wrong I would have been out alot of money on my refund. The follwing year I have used Turbo Tax, its simple and a fraction of what H&R Block would cost.

 

[PixieTopaz]

Guess what?

Millions of Americans do their own taxes!
Without a computer program!

Just use last year's return as a guide to where you put each thing

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I've used taxslayer.com for my 22 yr olds for the past few years. Fed is free and it's 9.95 for the state return. His refunds are directly deposited in his bank account. Easy peasy!

Same here. It's very easy.

My Grandma went to H&R Block a few weeks back and it cost her a LOT of money!

 

[lovesmurfs]

Expensive, and I don't think they did a good job for us. We had a MLM business. The year before we used H&R, we got $2,000 back. When we used H&R, we owed $2,000. The year after we used H&R, we got $2,000 back. Nothing else had changed, living, business revenue, etc. and I still get ticked to think back on it now, ten years later.

 

[PatsMom]

I have to agree with the poster who said either you have a complicated return and should use a CPA or you can do them yourself. H&R Block is expensive and they are not that good. Their tax preparation class is kind of a joke - almost more of a lesson in how to use the software than what the tax code is.

 

[aristocatz]

Thank you guys!!!!

I am so glad I checked with you guys about this!

How much money does turbo tax cost? Does the program walk you through the process?

I've never done my own taxes before. My dad (CPA) usually does them, but he is ill this year and cannot.












i

 

[pilotwife_02]

I have to agree with the poster who said either you have a complicated return and should use a CPA or you can do them yourself. H&R Block is expensive and they are not that good. Their tax preparation class is kind of a joke - almost more of a lesson in how to use the software than what the tax code is.

I agree with this, the one year we went to them and told them some of the deductions we KNEW we could take (DH's job occupation allows certain "weird" job related deductions), the lady had no idea they were allowed. At that point we knew it was time to say "thanks, but no thanks!" and find a CPA.

 

[golfgal]

H&R Block is not cheap. A lot (not all) of their preparers are very well trained and some (not all) have as much training in taxes as a CPA and they will go with you to an audit; but I would only use them for a complicated return because of the price.

BTW, you don't have to do a loan with them to get your money. You can get it the same way you can with any return; direct deposit or a check mailed to you. They offer several products other than doing returns and will try to sell you most of them; but you are not required to buy any of it just because you get them to do your taxes.

I am sure that 4 year degree that a CPA has is very equivilant to the 3 week program that the H & R Block people off the street have.

Thank you guys!!!!

I am so glad I checked with you guys about this!

How much money does turbo tax cost? Does the program walk you through the process?

I've never done my own taxes before. My dad (CPA) usually does them, but he is ill this year and cannot.












i

Turbo Tax for a basic returns is around $35 and you get a free state version and a free e-file. Yes, they walk you through everything and it is easy. It takes a couple hours the first time you use it to get everything entered but after that it remembers your information. I have used Turbo Tax for years.

 

[disney1990]

I have used the H&R Block software for several years now and am very happy with it. If your taxes aren't that complicated, I wouldn't pay a lot to get them done.

 

[luvsJack]

I am sure that 4 year degree that a CPA has is very equivilant to the 3 week program that the H & R Block people off the street have.



Turbo Tax for a basic returns is around $35 and you get a free state version and a free e-file. Yes, they walk you through everything and it is easy. It takes a couple hours the first time you use it to get everything entered but after that it remembers your information. I have used Turbo Tax for years.

If you re-read what I said--"some". I have never worked at H&R Block as a preparer but as a receptionist (don't even like the place and haven't been back after the first year). And I am not saying to use them, I don't because they are too expensive and I don't like being pushed into buying other products.

Some of their preparers have been with them for many, many years and have much, much more than 3 weeks of training. After enough years of starting training in late summer and finishing in December each year, you are pretty much going to cover it all. The office manager at the branch I worked at could answer pretty much any tax question presented to her and any return brought to her. (I have a niece who is a very successful CPA and she and I have discussed this many times, she says that a lot of them do have the same tax knowledge, but of course just not the many other facets of being an accountant)

Like I said, I don't use them and am not even that fond of some of the ways they do business; but there is no sense in saying things about a business that are not necessarily true.

FYI, if anyone does use H&R Block and wants a more experienced preparer you can go to their website and pick and choose. You can also ask to have a more experienced preparer to re-check your return. If mistakes are made they will correct them even several years later (not sure the limit on that but they will correct them)

 

[clh2]

We've used tax software for years. Our tax return typically consists of income, interest/investment income, an occasional stock sale, mortgage interest, state taxes, property tax, and charitable contributions. We no longer have daycare - but the tax programs handle that too.

Easy peasy...

the programs "interview" you. It will ask you did you receive a 1099-INT form. THen you click yes or no. If you click yes - it will ask for the pertinent info on the form, then go on to the next question. Once you've entered all the info onto the forms - the tax program will get your stuff all in the correct spots, and you are done. After you've done this a couple ofyears, the tax programs will compare prior years to your current, and see if there are any big discrepancies. Sometimes they are easily explainable, others - it may indicate you have missed something.

Definitley compare your taxes to last year's return. That will be a great way to gauge if you've missed anything, or if your dad missed anything when he did the returns.