H&R Block Review

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H&R Block is pretty much a no-brainer for anyone looking for superior tax prep service without having the hire an actually account. With its slew of features, tools and extras, it makes doing your taxes really easy and efficient, and will make sure you get the most from your refund or find ways to cut down on your tax bill.

How Does H&R Block Work

H&R block works exactly how you would expect it to. You start the tax process for free, where you can import your W2 with the click of your phone’s camera. H&R Block can also import all your tax information from the previous year’s return. Once that is all set, you will be asked a series of questions about your life, your finances and your family to make sure you are taking the proper deductions and credits.

H&R Block will keep a running tally of how much your refund will be and how you much you will owe based on the answers to the questions. Once you finish, it will calculate how much you’ll get or owe, and let you know which package you will have to buy, based on your return. It will also give you the option to transfer the same information to you state filings. Once that is all completed, you can pay for the services and H&R Block will file your taxes.

If you have any questions during the tax prep period, you can reach out to H&R Block through phone support, or go to one of its local offices and set up a time with a tax professional to go over your taxes in person.

What Makes H&R Block Stand Out

One thing that makes H&R Block stand out the most is its slew of guarantees. First, it offers a Maximum Refund Guarantee, which will refund the fees you paid to H&R Block if you find a different preparation method that would give you a larger guarantee. H&R Block will also let you change your tax filing for free to get the larger refund. The only stipulation is it has to include the exact same information you gave to H&R Block.

The second guarantee the 100% Accuracy Guarantee, which will pay for any penalties you receive from the IRS for miscalculations made by H&R Block, up to $10,000. The last guarantee is an Audit Support Guarantee, which provides you with a walk-through on how to deal with an audit. If you aren’t satisfied with the walk-through, H&R Block will refund what you paid for its services.

Recently, H&R Block also offered tax preparation by IBM’s Watson, the super-computer that went to head to head with a Jeopardy champion. It is only available for in-office tax preparation, but it combines the power of a super-computer with the knowledge of a tax representative to make sure you are getting the maximum refund, or the owe the least amount.

In addition, H&R Block also has the Second Look Review, which will do a deep dig into your previous year’s tax return to see if you could have received a higher refund. If so, H&R Block will file the paperwork to get you the money you are owed.

The best feature that H&R Block offers is the advance on your refund. If you have done your taxes and H&R Block knows you are getting a refund, you can get up to $1,250 in an advance on your refund, which is great for anyone who is waiting on a refund to pay some bills.

Common H&R Block Reviews

With its slew of features and tools, H&R Block usually gets stellar reviews from professional consumer product review sites, generally landing 4/5 out of 5 stars. Reviewers are especially impressed with the Second Look review and the guarantees that H&R Block offers.

Customer reviews are actually mixed, mostly because most online user review forums don’t separate the online product from the in-person product. The in-person product tends to get negative reviews because human interaction and human error play more of a role. Since the online service is automated, it tends to get higher reviews from users.

Is H&R Block Right For You?

This is a pretty simple question, since H&R Block offers so many great features and options for you to choose from. The question really is whether you are willing to pay for H&R Block’s services. If you don’t mind spending a little extra (although the prices are inline with what TurboTax charges), H&R Block’s features, tools and support are a great fit for anyone who is looking to get the most out of their taxes.

About the Author

Jeff Hindenach

Jeff Hindenach is the co-founder of Versus Reviews. He graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He has a long history of journalism, with a background writing for newspapers such as the San Jose Mercury News and San Francisco Examiner, as well as writing for The Huffington Post, New York Times, Business Insider, CNBC, Newsday and The Street. He believes in giving readers the tools they need to get out of debt.