EmailBest Reviewed
Tax Preparation Services
- Best storefront tax preparation service H&R Block *Est. $150
- Best alternative to storefronts IRS Free File Program *Est. $0
Get info about new reports and updates
Best storefront tax preparation service
- More than 12,000 locations
- Good compromise between DIY and an accountant
- Experience varies among preparers
- Refund anticipation loans carry high fees
- Overkill for those with simple returns
We found the best reviews of the H&R Block tax preparation chain (as well as tax preparation services in general) at Consumer Reports, Consumer Action and SmartMoney. All discuss the services offered by H&R Block and its next-biggest competitor, Jackson Hewitt. We also consulted comments about H&R Block posted by consumers on the Consumer Affairs website.
Financial experts and customers say the H&R Block tax preparation chain is the best choice in storefront tax-preparation services, citing this chain's reasonable fees (for simple returns) and numerous convenient storefronts. However, most financial experts recommend doing it yourself by investing in tax software or using the IRS Free File Program instead of having your return prepared by a storefront chain. That's because most people have simple returns. Also, we found numerous warnings about the varying qualifications of H&R Blocks's tax preparers, and experts unanimously warn against this chain's refund anticipation loans, which carry high fees and interest rates. H&R Block is the top choice partly because reviews say that this chain's next-biggest competitor, Jackson Hewitt, has a lower reputation for customer service and fewer locations.
Our Sources
1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
Consumer Reports weighs the pros and cons of various kinds of tax preparation. When it comes to national chains like H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt, the writer warns that many seasonal tax preparers come equipped with only high-school degrees, and cautions against refund-anticipation loans, which have very high interest rates.
Review: Should You Do Your Own Taxes this Year?, Editors of Consumer Reports, Jan. 2008
This article summarizes a joint report by the National Consumer Law Center and the Consumer Federation of America study on tax refund loans of the kind offered by Jackson Hewitt and H&R Block. The loans are described as having exorbitant interest rates and preying on lower-income tax filers. On the positive side, H&R Block has lowered its fees since 2007, though these loans can still be risky if refunds are delayed or challenged.
Review: Final Report on Tax Refund Loans Released, Editors of Consumer Action, Apr. 1, 2008
Janet Paskin looks at all sorts of tax-preparation services but can't resist taking swipes at H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt, whose preparers are often underqualified (she says) and make frequent errors. She criticizes these firms' non-tax products (like H&R Block's "Express IRA") and audit insurance. (The money you pay for this extra protection won't really add much to the free guarantee, she says.)
Review: 10 Things Your Tax Preparer Won't Tell You, Janet Paskin, Feb. 19, 2008
We found a sizeable number of complaints here about H&R Block's refund anticipation loans, in which customers go into great depth about excessive fees, high interest rates and poor customer service.
Review: H&R Block -- Refund Anticipation Loans, Contributors to ConsumerAffairs.com
Tax Preparation Services Runners Up:
1 pick including: ConsumerAffairs.com, SmartMoney.com…
