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H&R Block Tax Software Review: A Good Fit for You to E-File Your Taxes?

h&r block tax software review
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Tax time comes every year, and it can be a very stressful time if:

  • You haven’t organized your finances all year
  • You don’t enjoy doing math
  • You fear government compliance related activities
  • and, you don’t have the right tools to easily do your taxes

Many people know there’s alot of people that fall into each of the four categories I’ve outlined above, so tax time becomes big business.  There’s tax offices in the oddest places (like grocery stores and jewelry shops), but are they really helping you or are they taking advantage?

If you’re here, it’s likely you want to make the RIGHT choice, and choose a tax solution that will:

  • Get you the maximum benefit
  • Help you stay ethical and compliant
  • and that won’t cost you an arm and a leg!

If that’s true, you’re in the right place. I’ll be reviewing one of the highest recommended solutions: H&R Block Tax Software for you.  My goal is to help you decide whether this tax software is a good fit for you.  In this H&R Block Tax Software review, I will give you:

  • What it is
  • How it works
  • Pros and Cons
  • What it does well and what it does not
  • What others are saying (good and bad)
  • My Recommendation
  • And, Alternatives (in case you want to do some comparison shopping)

If you read until the end, and you still have unanswered questions, please leave them in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to help answer your questions. If you decide at any point you want to skip the remainder of the review and TRY H&R BLOCK TAX SOFTWARE OUT FOR YOURSELF, you can CLICK HERE TO TRY IT OUT.

If this all sounds good, and you’re ready to get on to the review, let’s get started…

What is H&R Block Tax Software? An Overview

h&r Block review

Many people have heard of H&R Block because it’s an international tax franchise with more than 12,000 offices in the US, Australia, and India.  You may not know:

  • The company was started in 1955 by Henry W. Bloch and Richard Bloch
  • They’re headquarters is located in Kansas City
  • They’ve been thru several mergers; buying several companies in the financial services space
  • As a result of buying other companies, they’ve been known to offer business consulting, payroll, accounting, bookkeeping, stock investing, financial advising, and tax advance loans
  • They’ve worked to improve their tax software since 1995
  • They worked with the IRS to create a process to file taxes online
  • and, they’ve been growing their partnerships to increase the visibility and capability of the software

Some of the H&R Block partners include:

  • Xero – Starting in 2014, they signed an agreement to exclusively promote Xero as the small business accounting software of choice.
  • Walmart – In 2017, they signed an agreement with Walmart to make their tax software the only retail desktop software sold in stores.
  • IBM – In 2017, they signed an agreement with IBM to use their computers in the branches and to use their artificial intelligence technology to make it easier for online users to get the professional tax reviews when they need them
  • and, LendingTree – To give consumers access to check their credit scores vis MyBlock

As you can see, H&R Block is dedicated to growing as a financial services solution, and their a fierce competitor with Intuit (the TurboTax and Quickbooks creator).

How Does H&R Block Tax Software Work?

The traditional in-person H&R Block model requires customers to visit a local branch, bring their tax documents, and answer questions to a live tax professional. In contrast the H&R Block software was created to ask all of the important questions to eliminate the need for many people to require the live in-person interaction.  Instead, you can gather your tax documents, and with the help of the artificial intelligence software, you’re able to log onto H&R Block’s website, answer questions, and complete your annual taxes.

For added peace of mind, H&R Block offers the service where you can have a tax professional review your documents to make sure you’ve done them right.  Isn’t it cool that you can bring the live-in-person experience of completing your taxes at a branch to the comfort of your home?  H&R Block currently has a widely recommended program and process, and they’re continually working to make it better.

If you’re curious to know how much you might get back on your refund this year, TRY OUT THEIR FREE TAX REFUND ESTIMATOR NOW.

How Do I Get Started with H&R Block Tax Software?

To get started with H&R Block, you:

1. Visit their Website

First, you VISIT THEIR WEBSITE and you’ll see a prompt that looks like this…

h&r block review

2. Choose You’re Situation

Below where it says, “Select all that apply”, are icons like:

  • Have children
  • Own a home
  • Have an HSA
  • Freelancer/Contractor
  • Have investments
  • Own rental property
  • Self-employed
  • and, own a business

When you select an option, it will change colors, and recommend a product package for you.  As you can see in the image above, I’ve selected have children, own a home, own rental property, and own a business, and it’s recommended “Deluxe” (because it’s highlighted) for me.  Similarly, when you select what applies to you, it will also highlight the package that suits your situation.

3. Begin Answering the Questions

If you decide to go along with the package recommendation, the software will begin to ask you questions that are appropriate to get you optimal tax credits and deductions. All you have to do is answer the questions, and it will tally how much tax credits you should have, what deductions are appropriate, and navigate you until your taxes are ready for submittal.

4. Electronically File

Once you’ve answered all of the questions, you’ll be asked to review your answers one last time, and you’re asked if you’d like a professional review. You can decline the professional review, and electronically file your taxes.

You’re Done!

Once your taxes are filed electronically, you’re done. If the IRS owes you money, you can set your tax refund up for direct deposit or to be added onto a prepaid card. After the IRS has reviewed your tax forms, you can expect your refund shortly after.

Who is H&R Block Tax Software For?

H&R Block tax software is for:

  • People who don’t want to add all of the numbers and input data into the IRS forms manually
  • Those who don’t want to visit a local branch, but want to have a tax pro review their return “just in case”
  • People who want to complete their taxes on their own
  • Professionals who want to offer tax preparation services

H&R Block Tax Software Tools & Training

H&R Block has lots of training and tools they offer. They have articles, tax calculators, refund estimation calculators, a “Where’s my refund?” tracking tool, an Income Tax course, the Tax Institute, and a financial literacy course called “Dollars and Sense”. YOU CAN CHECK OUT THEIR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND TAX TOOLS HERE.

H&R Block Tax Software Support

H&R Block offers live in-person support at their branch locations, they offer online support by appointment, live chat, and by email.

What Does H&R Block Tax Software Do Well

  • After looking at tens of thousands of H&R Block software customers, I’ve found that majority are happy with the software
  • They have integrated tax changes and new codes well to give accurate estimates and maximize deductions
  • It imports data (even from TurboTax) so you don’t have to manually enter everything
  • It is priced well
  • The artificial intelligence enables you to skip unnecessary questions, and answer only questions that might apply to you
  • They have a money-back guarantee
  • They have good customer support
  • It gives you suggested deductions and credits

What Doesn’t H&R Block Tax Software Do Well

  • It’s not the most visually “fancy”
  • Some customers complained they were unclear about the use of data policies
  • Some customers thought they’d be able to file for free, but found they had to pay. Maybe H&R Block can be clearer about who can file free versus who needs to pay
  • According to customers, their off season support may not be as good as tax season support

HR Block Tax Software Review Roundup

Here’s a compilation of reviews of H&R Block tax software from various places online. I’m hoping this compilation can summarize for you what customers are saying about the software.

A Thorough Video Review and Walkthru

Most Helpful Positive H&R Block Tax Software Review

Out of 40,878 reviews, 21,431 were 5-stars. This positive review represents what many customers had to say:

“Super easy”

“Great software super easy to complete and gives you details step by step”

Most Helpful Negative H&R Block Tax Software Review

Out of 40,878 reviews, this negative review represented quite a few people who expected to file for free:

“Upgraded” me from “FreeFile” w/o my consent

“I have for the past few years qualified for “free file.” I began my taxes this year with the supposed free file and then at the end was being charred for both Federal and State taxes!!! When I called H&R Block about this, I was told they could “downgrade” me to “free file” but then ALL of my information would be lost and I would not be able to import it from the previous year but would have to re-input it manually. It was also explained that the system automatically “upgrades” you if it thinks you need it. I am filing jointly with 7 dependents and 1 W-2. We qualify for multiple government assistant programs. At the end of the day, the time and headache to be able to free file was not worth it. We’ll be forced to donate $60+ out of our refund to H&R Block. This is not a large amount for some, but for us it represents quite a bit!”

H&R Block Tax Software Price

The H&R Block Tax Software costs between $0 and $59.99 for federal tax filing, and it costs an additional $36.99 for each state return you need to file. If you decide to add other additional services like a professional review, the price will be more. In comparison with other tax services, H&R Block software is very competitively priced: it’s lower than in-person consultation or TurboTax, but higher than some of the lesser known options.

My Final Opinion of H&R Block Tax Software

Overall, H&R Block have a very good software that can be used for tax preparation by experts and those who are new to doing taxes. Most customers are very pleased with their experiences, and I know from firsthand that it’s a reasonably priced alternative to other software, the in-person option, or hiring a CPA. If you’d like to give it a try, VISIT THE H&R BLOCK WEBSITE NOW.

Top Alternatives

TaxSlayer

TaxAct

LibertyTax

Jackson-Hewitt

TurboTax

VERDICT: Recommend

——————————————————-

 

H&R Block Tax Software

9

Reliability

9.2/10

Pricing

9.0/10

User Friendly

9.0/10

Support

8.0/10

Features

9.8/10

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Most customers are satisfied
  • Step by step instructions
  • Effective artificial intelligence integration that enables pro help and minimizes unnecessary questions
  • Gives useful suggestions on deductions and credits

Cons

  • May need to inform customers better before upgrading them from free to paid filing
  • Needs to work on making good customer support more universal

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