Are you going to use H&R? No. Do it yourself. I promise it will be much easier!
I filed my 2014 tax with them one week before the April deadline. An old gentleman (for respect, no name) received us. He had lots of certificates of excellence on the wall, because of which, we believed, that he would be at least competent in doing what he's been doing for his life. Our tax files are nothing complicated. We've been doing it by ourselves for years. This time, we were busy, and just had a baby, so we thought H&R Block could save us a few hours of work. We were wrong.
The gentleman made me run 6 times to his office, providing all kinds of evidence to show that I didn't lie to him. I had to carry my baby there with me. He was simply impatient, too impatient for my ignorance of the business. He continuously exclaimed words like "oh, jesus" in reply to my questions. He was as if saying, "If you cannot do it yourself, why the hell do you come here?!"
Anyway, he got the filed done, and charged me over $300 for the work (although he said it wouldn't cost more than 200 before we started). They also charged me $38 so that they would deduct the fee from my final return. It's ok, as long as it's done. No, I was wrong.
The next day, and several days following that, H&R Block sent me emails saying that my tax return had been accepted by IRS, and encouraged me to do more business with them. THEY WERE CHEATING!
A few weeks later, instead of receiving my tax refund, I received IRS' letter asking me to pay over $300 instead.
Then I received a letter from IRS asking me to pay the $300 service fee because H&R Block was not receiving it from IRS---because H&R Block itself made a mistake.
I went to the H&R Block office in New Haven, they were closed, for good. I called, and went to the East Haven Office. This time, a young gentleman received me. According to him, the former gentleman put some important figure in a wrong place, causing IRS not to recognize my report. Oh, I thought the job was easy, I thought an experienced staff of the Famous H&R Block would easily fix some a small business. I thought "I" was stupid.
This young gentleman tried to call IRS a few times, but it was just impossible to get anybody to talk to. He drafted me a letter, which I sent to IRS, and again a few weeks later. Finally, I received a letter from IRS, they gave me a few hundred more dollars of return, but still refused to pay me the $2000 due to me. I went to the East Haven office again, he drafted another letter, I sent it again.
Then we moved out of CT. The $190 I received from IRS went to H&R Block to fill up the balance I owned them, of course. Then I received another letter from H&R Block, asking me to pay the remaining amount of $100+.
Then I received phone calls after phone calls from H&R Block. When finally I was able to talk with them, the man said he's from the debt collection office of H&R Block, and didn't care about whether they did their business correctly. It was his sole job to collect the remaining balance I owed them. He even threatened to take the "debt" to a third party. REMEMBER, H&R Block, you own me $2000!
Why the hell did I go with H&R Block in the first place? Why the hell am I still waisting my time to write this long review?!
Dear friends, if you know someone really good at H&R Block, go with him/her by all means. But, if you just come for their name, you are at high risk. They are big, only to be big enough, and strong enough to collect what you owe them. For that merit, I give them 1 star. read more
