H & R Block for Taxes?

[akshatp]

Anyone have any opinions on them? Are their staff qualified enough to do a straightforward return?

Should I go to a local tax attorney instead?

Opinions please!

 

[KillyKillall]

www.turbotax.com

 

[amish]

do it yourself. the IRS has the forms and instructions for you to prepare your own return.

 

[bwatson283]

ask the tax man, in the stickied post.

I do my own with TT online.

 

[Savij]

If you make less than the max. then use H&R block's freefile

 

[JS80]

try the intarweb

 

[CraKaJaX]

They screwed Ken Jennings out of receiving more money. I'd try somewhere else.

 

[TuxDave]

HR Block (at least 3 of them that I visited) are full of morons. I'm never going to give them a 2nd chance.

 

[akshatp]

The only reason I dont want to do it online is because I got married last year and thought it might add some benefit that I am unaware of to go to the office since this is the first time I am filing jointly.

 

[krunchykrome]

Just do them yourself. All it takes is the internet, a printer, a few hours and some research.

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Just do them yourself. All it takes is the internet, a printer, a few hours and some research.

I guess I could always attempt it first, and then if it doesnt work out I can go to H&R?

 

[SoulAssassin]

Originally posted by: akshatp
The only reason I dont want to do it online is because I got married last year and thought it might add some benefit that I am unaware of to go to the office since this is the first time I am filing jointly.

Odds are probably not. I wonder if you could do it yourself, find out what you're getting back, go there and have them do all the paperwork and find out what they say you're getting back. If it's less, tell them thanks but no thanks and walk out.

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin

Originally posted by: akshatp
The only reason I dont want to do it online is because I got married last year and thought it might add some benefit that I am unaware of to go to the office since this is the first time I am filing jointly.

Odds are probably not. I wonder if you could do it yourself, find out what you're getting back, go there and have them do all the paperwork and find out what they say you're getting back. If it's less, tell them thanks but no thanks and walk out.

Then I dont have to pay them anything?!?!?!? After they did all the preparations and all???

 

[dullard]

The only real difference with being married is that you can do the math twice. You have the added flexibility of filing separately (almost always pay more tax) or filing jointly (almost always pay less tax). So, it is a very tiny bit more work to do it both ways.

Other than that, all you do differently is have another SSN, another person to claim, have another signature, and use a different column in the tax table. There really aren't hidden "you are married thus you get these special tax benefits" areas that you can't easilly see for yourself.

But, if you don't want to do it yourself, H&R Block is probably about the same as all of them.

 

[OutHouse]

yourself = free

tax software - 40 bucks

H&R block = min 100 bucks.


you tell me.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Citrix
yourself = free

tax software - 40 bucks

H&R block = min 100 bucks.


you tell me.

I did free TaxAct for federal + went to my own state's website software for free state taxes. Sure, it took 3 hours longer than if I just did them by hand (which would take ~5 mintues total), but I got my money weeks faster.

What I'm saying is that tax software isn't necessarilly 40 bucks. You can always get it free.

 

[SoulAssassin]

Originally posted by: akshatp

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin

Originally posted by: akshatp
The only reason I dont want to do it online is because I got married last year and thought it might add some benefit that I am unaware of to go to the office since this is the first time I am filing jointly.

Odds are probably not. I wonder if you could do it yourself, find out what you're getting back, go there and have them do all the paperwork and find out what they say you're getting back. If it's less, tell them thanks but no thanks and walk out.

Then I dont have to pay them anything?!?!?!? After they did all the preparations and all???

You're not taking the paperwork they did with you, they didn't file it. Say you did it yourself ahead of time and it came out higher than what they did and you're not paying. Odds are you could do it but there is an obvious cheapskate feeling to it. At a minimum do it yourself first and compare to what they did to learn for next year.

 

[jfall]

H&R block employees don't even really know what they are doing, they just take your information and plug it into their software.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: akshatp
The only reason I dont want to do it online is because I got married last year and thought it might add some benefit that I am unaware of to go to the office since this is the first time I am filing jointly.

H&R block is the same as online except you have someone hired at minimum wage asking you the same question by reading what's on the computer prompt.

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: jfall
H&R block employees don't even really know what they are doing, they just take your information and plug it into their software.

QFT

 

[FoBoT]

most CPA's use tax software too :roll:

it isn't like they do a better return by using pencil & paper

 

[Midlander]

Turbotax has worked well for me for years. It's fast, easy, and accurate. I see no reason to use H&R Block or anyone else unless you have some really complicated tax issues.

 

[puffff]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: jfall
H&R block employees don't even really know what they are doing, they just take your information and plug it into their software.

QFT

Not always true. There are H&R Block employees who know the tax code through and through and can help you get your taxes right.

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: puffff

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: jfall
H&R block employees don't even really know what they are doing, they just take your information and plug it into their software.

QFT

Not always true. There are H&R Block employees who know the tax code through and through and can help you get your taxes right.

ask for an "EA" , Enrolled Agent if you want an expert

http://www.irs.gov/taxpros/agents/article/0,,id=100710,00.html

What is an enrolled agent?

An enrolled agent is a person who has earned the privilege of practicing, that is, representing taxpayers, before the Internal Revenue Service. Enrolled agents, like attorneys and certified public accountants (CPAs), are unrestricted as to which taxpayers they can represent, what types of tax matters they can handle, and which IRS offices they can practice before.

 

[MazerRackham]

I use the H&R Block all-online thing, and it's $45 to prepare and e-file for federal and state combined. Plus they keep your records for three years. Worth it to me.