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H&R Block online program

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January 31, 2019, 06:55 PM
Aquabird
H&R Block online program
My wife did taxes on as a sideline many years ago for H&R Block.

She in the last few years has used their program for you computer to do our taxes, finding it easier than turbo tax or doing it without a program. She recently took another tax preparation course, but still finds this better.

The gripe is that this year, we were forwarded an email from our son about a good deal on the program. We clicked the email and bought the program for $10 off normal price.
We then clicked to download the program and the old ERROR 404 came up.
Shortly we got an email verification for the purchase. It had download icon and that too lead to error 404.
We searched the net and found a phone number.
We were on hold for 45 mins before talking to a girl who did not have any idea what to do. We were then on hold for another ten minutes. Then we got a girl who took some info and put us on hold for 10 minutes. She then had to transfer the call to software. A message came on and said we had about a 40 minute wait....after an hour on the phone????
The email verification said no refunds on the purchase!

We called the credit card company, they cancelled the charges.


NRA Life Endowment member
Tri-State Gun collectors Life Member
February 01, 2019, 08:45 PM
Muddflap
So it's more like an H&R Block offline program.
February 02, 2019, 12:02 PM
Redford1970
Been using HR Block since they bought out TaxCut. Never a problem


An error 404 is not a Block software error. Next time, try again a different day. Check that your Internet Provider is not having some kind of brown out.
It could have been an obsolete link. Maybe the offer expired but the purchasing side wasn't taken down.

In any event, too bad, good software. Just did my GFs 2018 return. Took 20 minutes
February 02, 2019, 08:40 PM
OKCGene
Can you use the FREE FILE companies on the IRS website as well on your State Tax Division? Even if you have to pay a small it's much easier.
February 03, 2019, 05:48 PM
Phelen_Kell
Do these softwares include state and local tax efilings?

My tax guy charges $75 to do federal, state and local. But he's busy and hard to make appointments with. I'm single so it might be easier for me to do it myself.
February 04, 2019, 11:27 AM
Expert308
I've been using TurboTax for the last 4 or 5 years, but H&R Block online ended up costing me about $170 less this year (in taxes) so I went that way.
February 04, 2019, 04:10 PM
tatortodd
For the past 4 years, I've had my employer's Big 4 accounting firm doing mine due to being an expat and the aftermath (i.e. my employer recouping foreign tax credits). Last year it was 7 hours of filling out the *&^%$ on-line form, and that doesn't even spit out a tax return. Some dude in India does it, someone in Can-eh-duh "reviews" it, someone in US "reviews" it, the Canadians send me a brief pdf to review and sign with a bunch of *&^% Canadian tax acronyms, and the Americans send me a 160 page pdf to review and sign. I spent hours reviewing the US return and couldn't figure out one thing, set up a call with the US accountant, and the answer was a line item on page 142. Once I signed, I immediately begin receiving both e-mail and phone calls semi-monthly asking when I'm going to send my employer the check for the foreign tax credit. The IRS took approx 6 months and by the end my phone and e-mail responses were a "little" testy. Mad

I'm so glad to be done with that nonsense, and this year ended up going with H&R block. I'm almost done with about an hour invested, but cannot finish until Vanguard posts tax docs mid-Feb.



Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
February 04, 2019, 08:28 PM
Aquabird
I went back on and tried to download and it worked.
I got it downloaded opened and installed...now if it works.
We too have been doing this for a few years.


NRA Life Endowment member
Tri-State Gun collectors Life Member
February 04, 2019, 08:29 PM
Aquabird
quote:
Originally posted by Phelen_Kell:
Do these softwares include state and local tax efilings?

My tax guy charges $75 to do federal, state and local. But he's busy and hard to make appointments with. I'm single so it might be easier for me to do it myself.


They include state but not local or city taxes.

They do have the state ones, which we always get.


NRA Life Endowment member
Tri-State Gun collectors Life Member
February 05, 2019, 07:09 AM
Mars_Attacks
I got the app on my phone January 24, took a photo of my W2, it loaded all the info, I answered the questions, confirmed dependents and it did its thing.

$29 to file state and add refund routing, done in less than 30 minutes.


____________________________

Eeewwww, don't touch it!
Here, poke at it with this stick.
February 18, 2019, 10:36 AM
calugo
I just filed my taxes using HR Block and didn't pay a penny for federal or state. My tax situation is generic with common deductions such as property tax, mortgage interest etc. I've used HR Block for several years now and find it user friendly and gets me a good refund.
February 21, 2019, 10:30 PM
Sailor1911
quote:
Originally posted by tatortodd:
For the past 4 years, I've had my employer's Big 4 accounting firm doing mine due to being an expat and the aftermath (i.e. my employer recouping foreign tax credits). Last year it was 7 hours of filling out the *&^%$ on-line form, and that doesn't even spit out a tax return. Some dude in India does it, someone in Can-eh-duh "reviews" it, someone in US "reviews" it, the Canadians send me a brief pdf to review and sign with a bunch of *&^% Canadian tax acronyms, and the Americans send me a 160 page pdf to review and sign. I spent hours reviewing the US return and couldn't figure out one thing, set up a call with the US accountant, and the answer was a line item on page 142. Once I signed, I immediately begin receiving both e-mail and phone calls semi-monthly asking when I'm going to send my employer the check for the foreign tax credit. The IRS took approx 6 months and by the end my phone and e-mail responses were a "little" testy. Mad

I'm so glad to be done with that nonsense, and this year ended up going with H&R block. I'm almost done with about an hour invested, but cannot finish until Vanguard posts tax docs mid-Feb.


Could be worse. You could be the guy like me that's doing the US return and dealing with the Big 4 contract Indians! Big Grin




Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark.

“If in winning a race, you lose the respect of your fellow competitors, then you have won nothing” - Paul Elvstrom "The Great Dane" 1928 - 2016
February 22, 2019, 05:57 AM
Georgeair
quote:
Originally posted by Expert308:
I've been using TurboTax for the last 4 or 5 years, but H&R Block online ended up costing me about $170 less this year (in taxes) so I went that way.


Help me understand - you ran your 2018 data through both systems and come up with a result different by $170, or your taxes this year were $170 less than last year when you used Turbotax?



You only have integrity once. - imprezaguy02

February 22, 2019, 10:02 AM
egregore
I too had some difficulty (but of a different kind, having to do with the health insurance) with Block. The last straw was the site going down altogether. I switched to Turbo Tax free. I did use Block last year and possibly the year before (don't remember) without any problem.