H&R Block At Home Company ReviewH&R Block At Home (Formerly Taxcut)

Pros

  • Competitive tax products and local tax support
  • Only provider with physical locations where tax representatives can help you fill out your tax return
  • Offers live tax support (free, unlimited support with Best of Both product; one free session with Premium product; additional $19.95 on lower-level products)
  • Offers professional tax review: tax advisor manually goes through your entire tax return (included for free on highest level "Best of Both" plan only)
  • Trusted and reliable brand: in business for 50+ years
     

Cons

  • Online interface is not as user-friendly as those from competitors TurboTax and TaxAct (e.g. does not prompt you to save progress; does not let you bookmark or flag pages of your tax return to revisit)
  • Below average tech support: Our tests showed it took longer to get simple questions answered over the phone than it did to look them up online.


 

H&R Block At Home Pricing
Price Range Free - $71.96
State Add-On $36.95
H&R Block At Home Company Ratings
4
3
3
5
Overall Score: 15 / 20
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H&R Block At Home Conclusion

We are in the process of reviewing H&R Block 2012 tax software, and our site will be updated December 2011.

H&R Block offers competitive tax products and is the only provider with physical locations where you can get help with filing your tax return. H&R Block has been around for over 50 years and has locations in many major cities around the U.S. H&R Block products and state add-on prices are slightly cheaper than competing products from TurboTax. H&R Block products are easy to use, but they don’t provide the best error checking system we’ve reviewed.

>> Visit H&R Block At Home Website

H&R Block At Home: Ease of Use

4

H&R Block’s tax products offer easy navigation and on-screen guidance, but they have poor error checking. H&R Block shows you a refund meter that calculates your estimated tax refund. You can access past tax returns for the last three years for free with all products. H&R Block only double-checks whether your W-2 if Federal Income Tax withholdings are greater than your income, which is the least thorough error checking system we’ve reviewed. H&R Block also does not include helper text bubbles that help guide you through your tax return and does not warn you to save your progress before changes are lost. Unlike TurboTax, H&R Block doesn’t let you bookmark or flag pages you want to revisit.

H&R Block At Home: Tax Support

3

H&R Block offers live tax support over the phone, which costs $19.95 per session. One free session is included with the Premium product, and unlimited sessions are included for free with the Best of Both product. "Professional Tax Advice" is delayed 24 to 48 hours, but instant tax advice is available by calling your local H&R Block office. Supoprt availability depends on the on the hours of operation of your local office. H&R Block offers audit support, which helps you find out why the IRS contacted you, determine what it means, and prepare your next steps. Unlike TurboTax and CompleteTax, H&R Block does not offer Audit Defense, which means that you will be represented in the even of an audit by the IRS.

H&R Block At Home: Tech Support

3

H&R Block’s tech support is lacking: we found that it took longer for tech support to answer simple questions over the phone than it did to look them up online. Wait times for phone, live chat and email were minimal to none when we tested their support. During tax season, wait times may vary with increased demand. Tech support is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All times are CST.

H&R Block At Home: Reliability

5

H&R Block has been in business for 55 years and is the only tax software company with physical locations where tax representatives can help you fill out your tax return. H&R Block offers an Accuracy Guarantee, which reimburses you in the event you are assessed a penalty based on a miscalculation on the part of this tax company. H&R Block also offers a Maximum Refund Guarantee, which ensures you get the biggest tax refund possible using their system.

H&R Block At Home: Pricing

H&R Block products are slightly cheaper than those of TurboTax and are some of the most expensive tax products we have reviewed. The cost of filing your federal tax return ranges from free to $79.95, depending on which product fits your needs. If you need to purchase a state add-on, it will cost you $27.95-$32.95, which is fairly expensive when compared to competing products TaxAct and CompleteTax. You pay the total price only after you file your return.