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The most helpful favorable review:
Downloading via Amazon is pretty smooth and painless. You can easily download it again later, even to a different computer if need be. Your authorization is stored in your account at amazon. You need to first install Amazon's special Downloader software. That's also fairly painless.
The most helpful critical review:
I don't write much in the way of reviews, but this one is long overdue. I've used the yearly iterations of this software since 2002. The software itself has always been fine, and has helped me do my taxes effectively during that period. However, a major reason for buying it all along has been the selling point of "Worry-free Audit Support", and the company failed me spectacularly during 2010.
Downloading via Amazon is pretty smooth and painless. You can easily download it again later, even to a different computer if need be. Your authorization is stored in your account at amazon. You need to first install Amazon's special Downloader software. That's also fairly painless.
Product Review:
I've used H&R Block's tax software every year since 2004. Always some annoyances, but most of it is excellent.
Price Dips: Below 25 buckss. Sometimes below 20. It went to 22.49 on Jan 12, 2011, for example. Amazon has always had the best price. There's an "Online Price Alert" that will email you whenever this or any amazon product dips below your target price. Google it. It's nicely done.
Unlimited number of tax returns: (family members, what-if copies of your return, etc.) I think TurboTax also lets you do this now, but in the past TurboTax pulled some real nasty tricks with licensing/copy protection, and they continue to charge 18-45% more than H&R Block.
It includes unlimited paper filings for one state ($ 19.95 extra per state e-file). So, I just file state returns on paper.
"Free" tax softwares like TaxAct might be the thing if your return is very simple, but their better versions are almost as expensive as H&R Block at low tide, and not as good.
The 2010 version is just like 2009. (I did a side-by-side run-through.)
Typical minor annoyances: (all carry-overs from 2009)
- Upgrade pitches: They weave it into the interview and make it sound as if "an upgrade to Premium is advised for your situation" even when it makes little or no sense for your situation. Sleazy.
- Unclear wording in a few places, although most wording is very clear and accurate.
- Privacy Policy: Hard to view. Hard to read. Has reassuring tone, but doesn't hold much water.
- Copy...Paste from Interview screens: That would be handy at times. No can do. Can't print them either. Only way I found is ALT + PrintScreen, then paste the graphic into Word or a paint program.
The most helpful critical review:
I don't write much in the way of reviews, but this one is long overdue. I've used the yearly iterations of this software since 2002. The software itself has always been fine, and has helped me do my taxes effectively during that period. However, a major reason for buying it all along has been the selling point of "Worry-free Audit Support", and the company failed me spectacularly during 2010.
I received a letter from the IRS in the spring of 2010 saying that I had miscalculated income in 2007 filings related to an adoption. Now, I'm not an aggressive tax person by any means - I don't take any exotic deductions, exemptions or credits, and try to make it so every year I might owe a couple hundred dollars, or get a small refund. I pay my taxes, and that's fine. Suddenly this letter from the IRS says I owe over $2500, and can I pay it now please, thank you very much? Well, it was inaccurate on the part of the IRS - I had the papers, the program, the file, all of it... and after hyperventilating a bit, I called the IRS. Essentially, I was told that I couldn't take the deduction, and I kept having this circular argument with the woman, where she simply couldn't understand why I thought I could have this deduction. Here's where the H&R Block "Worry-free Audit Support" people come in.
I spent 2 hours on the phone with this support guy, asking for some help in dealing with the matter. He was polite; He was intelligent; and he deliberately and specifically refused to provide any support at all, because it was an assessment, not an audit. What??? What does that even mean??? For the next 2 hours, I read the fine print on their guarantee with him, and listened to him read scripted refusals about not providing a tax person to assist, a manager to speak with, a means of redress; I was told I was on my own.
So, ok, I'm on my own. Next day, I try the IRS folks again. Thank GOD you don't ever get the same person twice. In 10 minutes, I had the problem fixed. I pointed out the issue, asked if I could walk through the pertinent part of the file line by line; I got to the 3rd line and the new IRS lady says "Oh, I see, it's that same computer problem again. This has been happening a lot lately. You're ok, I'm fixing it now." "Wow... Ok, Thank you very much, you'll send a letter? Thank you, thank you thank you! Goodbye!" No actual problem, I was right, IRS was wrong. 10 minutes on the phone. But H&R Block's "Worry-free Audit Support"? NOT THERE FOR YOU.
So, again, the software in general has been fine, and if you buy it expecting to defend yourself to the IRS WITHOUT any help from the fine people at H&R Block, you'll be happy enough. But if you need help related to ANYTHING to do with audits, assessments, or whatever, they will fail you. My problem was thinking "Worry-free Audit Support" meant if the IRS says you filed your taxes incorrectly, you'll have some help. To H&R Block, "Worry-free Audit Support" means "You'd better worry".
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