Turbo Tax vs H&R Block: Who ya' got?

[SacDAve]

One account for family properties another one for my personal tax stuff and he is also working on my late brothers back taxes.

 

[Engine Swap]

Turbotax > HR Block > FreeTax USA

Switched to freetax last year after Block couldn’t hand a simple stock transaction. Bug in their software, we got our purchase price refunded.

For years, I couldn’t file electronically with Block because they didn’t update the SS database.

 

[The Angle]

I second the vote for FreeTaxUSA. If your taxes are such that you don't need a tax representative to do them for you, it's great. And, like the name says, it's free. You can upgrade for special options if your tax situation is complex, but I've never needed to in over ten years of self-employment.

 

[tonepoet333]

Something I was told at H&R Block last year: I was told I could just download all my tax docs to H&R and not even have an office visit. I was asked to initial to agree or opt out of having my taxes done by someone outside of the US. I said "What's the idea here? Is this to farm out work overseas so they can start closing up US offices?" She said "Yeah. They would download your paperwork to a "tax preparer" overseas who would prepare your taxes and then upload them back to H&R".

Then she added, "Oh, by the way, it's only in California that we have to have you agree or opt out. In the other 49 states it is sent overseas without the customer knowing."

Just something I was told and something to think about.

tonepoet
www.jackshiner.com

 

[Jim_in_PA]

I've used TurboTax for decades...I'm not going to pay for someone else to do my taxes. That said, now further into retirement, I'm looking more at free filing scenarios since our tax situation is greatly simplified. If it survives, but we cannot talk about that here.

 

[Maguchi]

TurboTax if you wanna leave money on the table. Face to face visit in the office at H&R Block or a private accountant for the win.

 

[buster poser]

TurboTax since 2008. I don't itemize and our situation is not very complex, but that hasn't always been true and it's worked well in those years. I could probably do it free but after ~15 years, the YoY import and record retention in one spot has a real value to us.

 

[tcadam]

I used Turbo Tax for many years until my wife incorporated her business. Since then, we've used Stan, a local CPA. Stan charges us about $250 and it's worth every penny.

 

[Bob M]

I use a local accountant. Only a little more than Turbo Tax. Since I retired, some aspects of my taxes are a little bit more complicated than I really want to handle on my own. My daughter has used H&R Block and they seem expensive in our area.

 

[burntfrijoles]

H&R Block mostly consists of "enrolled agents", not CPA's or persons holding a bachelor's degree in accounting who are CPA candidates working towards licensing.

I was inquiring about the Tax software. Unless you have overly complicated returns, a CPA isn't going to provided much benefit.

I had taken the OP's question as TurboTax software vs HRBlock Software, but now you are making me think I didn't understand the question. Not sure if question is Turbotax vs HRBlock Software or vs HRBlock tax offices.

Exactly. Sorry for the confusion. I guess I thought it was obvious that since TurboTax is software, I would be comparing it to H&R's software.

I've used TurboTax for decades...I'm not going to pay for someone else to do my taxes.

Same here, although Intuit keeps raising their rate to the point where the differential is closing.

TurboTax if you wanna leave money on the table. Face to face visit in the office at H&R Block or a private accountant for the win.

Not for my situation. I've always speculated that accountants, and certainly H&R Block offices, have folks perform data entry into tax software for many simple returns that involve wages, mortgages, 401k/403b/IRA, simple brokerage accounts etc. Current software lets you upload or drag and drop forms from brokerages, financial institutions, etc.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll stick with Turbo this year.

 

[Guitarzan]

This part led me to believe you were considering swapping over to EA's at H&R:

Plus their pricing is getting close to what I could pay an accountant to do.

 

[Maguchi]

I've always speculated that accountants, and certainly H&R Block offices, have folks perform data entry into tax software for many simple returns that involve wages, mortgages, 401k/403b/IRA, simple brokerage accounts etc. Current software lets you upload or drag and drop forms from brokerages, financial institutions, etc.

I was a tax preparer for one season for a larger firm. And the last 35 years I been sitting face to face in front of a Liberty or H&R Block tax preparer or an accountant while he or she asked questions and entered my answers and receipts into a computer. They always turn the computer screen so both client and preparer can see the screen. I would get my completed tax return documents package handed to me while I was face to face with the preparer. So he or she wasn't using data entry folks overseas or in-house while I was there watching them. And there would be no reason to use data entry folks after I left the office since my return was already completed. There may be a new diffrent business model that I haven't encountered yet. However other than a couple of years that I did my own taxes I only ever had tax preparation done face to face.

 

[MontanaTele]

When I ran my own business I always used an accountant. Depreciation, vehicles and such. Now that I am retired the wife uses Turbo Tax. I think see gets it at Costco.

 

[kuch]

I've been using Turbo Tax for maybe 20+ years. Our returns were a little more complicated back then and it worked really well. After we refinanced at a little over 2% several years ago, our filing became less complicated.
I use TT these days for convenience. It basically plugs in all of the info from last year and allows you to make any changes, if there are any. And..... I love the free E FILING!!