H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] Reviews

• good product at a good price (updated)

  
  By AMKNPIDFLRFMP on 2009-12-15
  (Note: This review also shows up in the reviews for the download version. Don't ask me why Amazon doesn't show the reviews in both places for what's really the same product, with just different delivery mechanisms. I bought the box version, if you want to know.)
  
  This part written Dec 9, 2009 (see updated comments below)
  
  This is of course a preliminary review (written Dec 9 based on use in the last few days). At this time one can't do more than a rough cut estimate of the tax return -- the IRS forms aren't finalized, the state forms aren't available, and of course the various income reports (W2, 1099, etc.) aren't out yet.
  
  I don't have a super complicated tax situation this year: it just requires some things that a good tax program should handle easily. So far this program seems to do just fine. I found it easy to use, and found that imports from Quicken and from TXF files worked without any problems. Schedules A, B, and D worked just fine, and the related screens were easy to use and understand. Excess FICA was calculated correctly, as was the child tax credit. The AMT calculation does of course remain weirdly complicated (once a year I mutter to myself about all politicians in DC), but the program does take care of it with no apparent problems.
  
  I used TaxCut last year -- chose it over TurboTax just because of cost, and was quite satisfied. I'm not convinced this year either that you get value for the extra you pay for TT. (Incidentally, note that if you have investment income you probably need to get TT Premium, so the price would be nearly double that of HRB Deluxe.)
  
  A warning I wrote in my review last year seems worth repeating: Don't expect a tax program to apply tax laws correctly in all circumstances; for anything at all out of the ordinary, make sure you double-check against an IRS guide or another guide like JK Lasser's. The folks who design and write and test the programs make mistakes, too. And for the same reason, give the calculations a sanity check, don't just use the program blindly, or you could get tripped up by a software bug that wasn't caught.
  
  I will update this review in Jan/Feb when I've had a chance to do more with it.
  
  Update Jan 29, 2010:
  
  I have now done a first complete pass on my taxes, based on W2s, 1099s, and some projected 1099s. I also have had an opportunity to use TurboTax Deluxe (I got a free copy, legally), so have been able to compare the two products.
  
  I continue to like HRB Deluxe. It's easy to use, and has been trouble-free. There are a couple of things I particularly like, that might be worth mentioning. (1) They show you when the next update is expected, so you don't waste your time running the update check until there is something. (2) Entering info from interest paying mutual funds that might have muni income (tax-free for Fed) is simple: HRB gives you a simple way to enter the amount that's tax-free in your state, and takes care of it without hassle. TT can also deal with this, but I don't like their way as much (they create a separate 1099 to split the income into two parts).
  
  Interestingly, TTD is also noticeably slower starting up than HRBD. Don't know why.
  
  The one advantage TT does have over HRB is on coverage of automated downloads: TT can download your 1099 info from a larger set of institutions than can HRB. W2 downloads look the same between the two. This does save some time, and could be sufficient to be a decider for some. Not for me.
  
  
  

• Problem with State download, inefficient customer service

  
  By A3SM58JR1K9JM on 2010-01-29
  I've used H&R Block's tax software for the last four years and haven't had a problem until the 2009's version. In general, the software is comparable to others in its simplicity and user-friendliness. This year, I bought the Deluxe Home Edition which comes with a state; however, when I tried downloading my free state program, it was indicated that I had to pay $29.95. To make a long story short, I spent 45 minutes speaking with a customer representative before she finally sent me the state link. I was very disappointed as the person initially told me she could not help me because I did not purchase the software directly from H&R Block. When I asked to speak to the manager, I was put on hold for long periods of time. For an issue that has occurred on multiple occasions (as indicated from these reviews), I was highly disappointed with the length of time it took the representative to come up with a solution. Also, had I not insisted on speaking with a superior (who apparently didn't think my issue was worthy of attention) the representative had originally asked me to go ahead and pay for the state and submit paperwork for a refund. It's odd that the program would encounter such a problem and I am very disappointed with the way the situation was handled.
  
  

• The Best Value

  
  By A10ZFE6YE0UHW8 on 2009-12-24
  I have used H&R Block's tax software every year since 2004. It's always adequate and slightly annoying. There are always a few poorly worded parts, even though most of it is excellent.
  
  The amazon price bounces around between 19 and 39 buckss between late January and April. I do 3 tax returns with it. Good value!
  
  ** Update 2-10-2010; I find the 2009 version clearer and cleaner than prior years. Very few annoyances on my moderately complex return. Their privacy policy is hard to view and hard to understand. You can't copy...paste or print the interview screens, which sometimes would be handy. Judging from reviews of the competition (TurboTax), I think H&R Block is the better product, and I don't feel ripped off.
  
  

• About telemarketing

  
  By A2KPLTBEHKGN71 on 2009-12-14
  I have just installed this year's program, and have yet to enter much data. I use this product over others since becoming unhappy with TT several years ago. I find the new look of At Home attractive and not at all distracting.
  
  In reference to the previous reviewer's complaint about telemarketing, I have two thoughts:
  
  1: Hang up immediately in response to any call as soon as a recorded message begins;
  
  2: Don't register the software. Never give any personal data you don't have to, to anyone.
  
  

• Excellent product from a former TurboTax user.

  
  By A3HAIB8YHY7GYR on 2010-01-23
  I have used TurboTax for years, but was fed up this year when I saw the prices for the Deluxe version. I had thought about using HR Block At Home (or TaxCut) for several years and decided to try it. Unlike other users, I had a no problem install on my Windows 7 computer. Super easy to use and understand.
  
  I highly recommend this product especially given that it is $20 cheaper than TurboTax.
  
  
• Download and delivery probl;ems
  By A3B9GX8IHO51HE on 2010-01-26
  I have been a satisfied TaxCut user for years. I have recommended this producrt in the past. I have been surprised at the amount of difficulty IH&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] have had this year. I purchased the version with one free state download. When I clicked on the state tab I saw an offer to sell me a state program but no free download. I called HRBlock three times about this matter. The first time the agent acted as if she didn't understand the problem and put me on hold six or seven times. The second time the agent sent me a link to download a new package of Federal + State. I downloaded the software but there will still no free State program. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling a few times but no luck. The third time I called, the agent sent me a link to a State program which I downloaded and which solved this problem. I had wasted at least four hours in the process. Next I discovered that when I tried to access Tax help I got an error message saying that it couldn't open a file. I called HRBlock Tech Support about this. The agent spent some time with me and then said I could expect a call from a higher level person at Tech Support. It has been two days and I am still waiting for a call. If it weren't for my positive past experience with TaxCut I would have rated this year's product and support even lower.
  
  
• Buggy installation/permissions on Macs: I have the problem & the solution
  By A1165IR4O45Z47 on 2010-01-19
  I've used H&R Block TaxCut (now H&R Block At Home) in the past and have been very satisfied. However this year I had two serious permission problems on the Mac. Fortunately I'm a geek and so was able to figure out solutions.
  
  The problem is only likely to crop up if you have multiple user accounts on the Mac, and use a non-Admin account to run the H&R Block At Home software. Otherwise, if you're running with full Admin (root) privileges these bugs should not arise.
  
  The first problem came right after I installed the program and it tried to do its initial update. It failed with the following error messages: "1008:5,-5000 Access denied error" and "You do not have enough access privileges for this installation". I had been running as a standard user so I switched to the Admin account, but to no avail. I even tried running Mac's Disk Utility program and did a Repair Disk Permissions with no success. I had to delete the program, re-run Disk Utility -> Repair Disk Permissions with the program gone, then reinstall the program as Admin. Then and only then would it do a program update and continue on.
  
  However, for security reasons I don't like to run as Admin, so I went back to my standard user account at that point. Then the second problem came up. When I tried to start the program as a normal user I got the following error message: "Initialization Failed. Exception thrown during initialization: File open failed. File = /Users/Shared/H&R Block/2009/update.tim in open:MacFileWriterImpl". After puzzling over that for a bit I realized what was wrong and confirmed it by dropping down into the underlying Unix OS underneath Mac OS X. And that is, H&R Block has the permissions set wrong for the file specified above and for the folder (or directory) containing that file. Sure enough, an ls -l in Unix confirmed that the permissions on that directory do not grant write access to anyone other than the owner of the file & directory. For those of us who create multiple accounts on the Mac, and who installed the program using the Admin account, mere mortal user accounts will not be able to modify that file. (And I suspect the file keeps track of the last update attempt, which normally occurs immediately upon program initialization, which is why it crashes the program right away.)
  
  So the fastest way for me to fix the problem was to go back to the Admin account, open up a Unix window using Mac's Terminal utility, change directories (cd) down to the 2009 directory, and reset the permissions with "chmod go+w 2009" "cd 2009" and "chmod go+w update.tim" for the file as well. Then everyone (group and other) can write to the file. Went back to the standard user and - well of course it worked!
  
  Those two solutions should help those of you who are comfortable with a bit of the techie side of Mac OS and/or Unix. However for the others, this is clearly a permissions bug in the H&R Block At Home software which I hope they get pushed out to their customers quickly. However they'll have to walk their customers through it verbally, since unless you can update the program online, you can't install the patches to fix the installation & update bugs. I called technical support tonight and reported the problem, cause, and solution, so hopefully their Customer Support call centers will be able to help other customers.
  
  I'd love to give the program more stars, but I fear these two permission bugs are going to cause a lot of grief to a lot of H&R Block customers who own Apple computers. Hopefully however this will help some folks get up and running.
  
  Three updates since I originally posted this review:
  
  1) I should have provided instructions to users to fix the permissions using non-Unix commands. So here goes using the Apple Mac OS X interface: a) sign on as Admin, b) open a Finder window and navigate down to /Users/Shared/H&R Block, c) right-click on the 2009 folder, d) select "Get Info" on the menu, e) on the pop-up window in the "Sharing & Permissions" section set ALL permissions that say "Read Only" to instead say "Read & Write", e) navigate into the 2009 folder and repeat the permission change instructions for the update.tim file. You're done & now your standard user account can run H&R Block At Home.
  
  2) H&R Block pushed out an update tonight (1/21/2010). As an experiment I tried updating the program from my standard user account. It ran to completion with no errors however after finishing told me that I still had that same update that needed to be done ... which means it didn't update the files on disk after all. So the permission bugs persist, at least for now. You'll have to perform all updates using the Admin superuser account (that worked) but if you do that you can at least run the program as a normal user.
  
  3) I installed the Maryland state program tonight (1/27) when it became available for download. Given the problems above I used the admin account to do the install and then switched back to my normal account. Ran the program: no Maryland state tax program installed! And you're only allowed to download it one time without paying again! Turns out the state program downloads into the directory ~/Library/Application Support/H&RBlock/2009/ (for non-techies ~ means starting at your home directory) and a non-shared plugin is created. This thwarts other accounts from using the state program.
  
  Resolution: Using a Finder window in the admin account copy the file ~/Library/Application Support/H&RBlock/2009/Completed Updates/md.dmg (for other states replace md.dmg with your state's abbreviation e.g. va.dmg for Virginia.) Paste this into a shared directory such as Macintosh HD/Users/Shared. Go back into your normal account and copy that same file from the Shared directory into your own ~/Library/Application Support/H&RBlock/2009/Completed Updates/ directory. Double click on that file (md.dmg in my case.) A new window will pop up and you'll see a new file which starts with your state's two-letter abbreviation. In my case it was called MD.TCstate09. Double click on that file. Another window will pop up which says it is installing the state plug-in. After that, you'll be able to use the state program under your normal user account as you intended.
  
  Don't ask me how to update all of this mess at this point when H&R Block is ready to push out new program updates. Do you use the admin account? The user account? Who knows? It might even depend upon whether you are updating the Federal or the State return. What a mess!
  
  H&R Block really blew it this year on multi-user account support, at least on the Macs. I tried relaying this to their Customer Service (3 phone calls and 2 online Chat sessions) but they had no one who understood the Macs and no way for me to email to them my diagnosis and solutions. They were nice and tried to be helpful but I'm not sure they got exactly what I was saying. I hope so though.
  
  I have liked H&R Block in the past and they are cheaper than TurboTax. This year, however, makes it difficult to remain a loyal customer. We'll see what I do in tax year 2010.
  
  Anyway, I hope my pain is able to help other Mac users get up and running.
  
  
• Best Version!
  By AS6XL34D5TM0H on 2010-01-21
  I have been using the Tax Cut now known as Block at Home software for the last five years. This years version is the best. It is very intuitive in looking over your entries and making sure you did not leave out anything. From the opening screen to the e-file process it was seamless and a pleasure to work with. I hate doing taxes but this makes it a little less hateful!
  
  
• Good for basic tax prep needs
  By A3GWVUAHHJL81Y on 2010-02-15
  I have used TurboTax for years, but this year decided I didn't want to pay the high price. After reading reviews of H&R Block at Home I thought I would give it a try. Despite having purchased the Deluxe version, I found this product was really only good for basic tax preparation, but if that's all you need why buy a desktop tax preparation product? Next year I'm going back to TurboTax. Here are a few reasons why:
  
  1) H&R Block required me on 2 separate occaisions to fill in a form myself before it would continue. The first was IRS publication 525 (Recoveries). After an hour reading the instructions and attempting to work out my situation, I finally just filled out a tax return on the TurboTax online version. It automatically calculated what needed to be calculated and gave me the answer I needed. So I took that information back to H&R Block at Home and continued. But I was in disbelief that AtHome couldn't handle it. The issue was that I amended a tax return from 2006 during the 2009 tax year and received a tax refund from my state for the tax year 2006. However, since I had itemized and deducted state taxes in 2006 I owed the Federal government for the amount that my deduction had reduced my Federal taxes.
  
  The second time I was required to access a form was to figure out my penalty for paying my Colorado state tax late. Colorado has a complicated form for this but luckily you also have the option to be billed later for the penalty - which is the option I chose. But again, I was in disbelief that the program couldn't just ask me the necessary questions and then calculate it for me.
  
  So bottom line on this point. I pay for a tax prep software product so I don't have to scrutinize IRS forms and manually fill out worksheets. I'm happy to do my research on relevant tax topics so I can make the appropriate choice on a not so clear issue, but in the 2 cases above, it was black and white - fill in the correct worksheet and go.
  
  2) Usability. I had read that the usability was not as sleek as TurboTax and they were right. The main income and deductions pages do not display the dollar amounts nor a status of your the categories. All it has is a link to "Go To" the category of interest. So there is no way to tell if you've already reviewed a topic.
  
  In addition the forms that it prints are very basic. TurboTax prints out a nice PDF file which is well organized and easy to navigate. AtHome just prints out a data sheet and your tax forms. It's a pain to surf through it all and find out what you want when checking things.
  
  Overall, my recommendation would be to pay the extra money and buy TurboTax. Although I am not happy that Intuit continues to jack up their prices, they do have a better product.
  
  
• State Program Download Problems
  By AXCGGQHAC82RW on 2010-01-28
  January 29, 2010
  
  See original post below. I gave it one last shot, and this time I got a tech support person who solved the problem -- she gave me a link to a self-installing download of the state program. Since the software is now working, I've raised the rating to three stars. It would probably be four stars if Block had given me the solution on the first contact instead of the fourth; not five since there are some user interface annoyances, including a limit on the number of different charitable contributions you can deduct.
  
  ----
  I have not been able to download the state software (Windows XP SP3). The program tells me I need administrator permission to do it; the account I am using has administrator permission. When I attempt to download it under the Administrator account, it looks like it is going to work, but then it closes the program and does nothing further. Tech support told me to upgrade Windows Installer; that made no difference. The instructions they sent me said if upgrading Windows Installer didn't solve the problem, they would have to punt.
  
  I'm not going to wrestle with it anymore. I can likely do my state taxes with pen and paper faster than I can resolve this issue.
  
  I have used this program and its predecessors for at least 20 years, and have been generally satisfied, but I will be tempted to switch next year.
  
  
• Love it
  By A1QK1FZ92XKSPG on 2010-01-23
  I've been using TaxCut for over 10 years. Last year I thought I would switch and try the free trial of TurboTax. I wasn't impressed. In several key places, TurboTax made me look up information manually from my previous year's return to input the answer - even though I had run the import. I switched back to TaxCut and breezed smoothly through the interface. I also found the help area and answer area to be more straightforward and no-nonsense in TaxCut. I highly recommend the program and will be purchasing it again this year.
  
  
• BEWARE of putting your phone number on your return, H&R Block will Robocall you the rest of your life
  By A2JAJJW5BB82CB on 2010-01-27
  Put my phone number on my return(IRS asks for it) and I e-filed. And now H&R Block is robo-calling me to buy their software again. Got 7 calls already this year. BEWARE!!!! I do not know how this is even legal
  
  
• my success with H&R Block
  By A1ZRFTGJ9PJPY7 on 2010-02-07
  I have been using H&R Block for several years. I started with it because it is less expensive than Turbotax, and continues to be so. This year, H&R provided Federal electronic mailing free, although the cost of the state electronic return cost 19.95. At any rate, the instructions were easy to follow. My return is relatively simple, but it seemed that the software had all the bells and whistles a more complicated return would need.
  
  
• simple and cheap, but wont import txf files properly
  By ATY86XH2DJ4ZH on 2010-01-27
  Edited: Have to change the rating; though most of what I said earlier still holds. I met with two major problems, however, that requires cutting down on rating. First, and this will mean I am have to look at some other software, is that it wont import txf file completely from my stock broker. It imports the amounts from all the transactions, but it wont import the dates of transactions. You then have to open each transaction manually and add buy and sell date. It requires multiple clicks, lookiing through your statements and matching the trades and such. If you are doing this alone, you are talking about 2-3 minutes per trade. When you have 400+ trades, this can be very painful (and long) :(
  
  Second experience was with the customer service: First tried the chat. Got to a very slow (or may be servicing 10 people at a time) and rude rep who didn't have clue about any of this, but she just wanted to get off the chat. Then I called the 1800 number. The lady who picked up was polite and wanted to help me; but she didnt know much about txf import. She did her best contacting her co-workers and such and came back with "yes, you have to manually enter the data". Well, that wont work for me :(
  
  To conclude, It didnt work for me. But if you do not need txf import this may still work for you. My earlier review comments (see below) are still valid. It is much cheaper than turbotax and it will get the job done if yours is s simpler scenario than mine.
  
  Also, I found that copy-paste doesnt work on many fields while filling in data. That s a P-I-A, but not a deal breaker (to me at least)
  
  original review follows...
  ---------------------
  
  I started using TaxCut last year. I found it pretty good, and upfront about the fees (unlike Turbo Tax that told me about 25$ extra at the end of return). So I decided to use it this year as well.
  
  I was little skeptical about all tax software this year, because I now have a new computer that runs Windows 7 (which is new), that too 64 bit version (which is few, compared to 32 bit). I was also not sure if the software can import data from my last year's return (that was created using Windows XP 32 bit). Anyway, when it came on sale at 25$, I decided to give it a go. Am glad I did - it installed without any error on my computer and imported last year's return as well (saved me a few hours entering all that stupid data). I bought the download version (not the CD), and it downloaded in a couple of minutes from Amazon (it is about 50MB). The original install has only the federal forms. You can click on "State" and "buy" one state program free - it is directly downloaded to your computer as an update. I saw some reviews saying the state program wasnt included (or wasnt available) - but that is incorrect. Just choose "Buy State" it lets you get a state free.
  
  I still haven't gotten the forms from my banks, so I wont complete my returns for another month. But so far everything has been smooth. I usually dont write review until I have used the product extensively, but I decided to write the review here anyway, because I thought the information about Win 7 64 bit support and import from last year's 32bit returns would help someone (I couldnt find that anywhere when searching).
  
  
  
  
  
• Great Product!
  By A1PXWS2HBH7DI9 on 2010-01-20
  I have been using TaxCut for years .. love the product! Quick installation and very easy to use! The interview process is very detailed and made it extremely easy to prepare my return. I especially like the free e-file and the audit support should I need it. I highly recommend this product!
  
  
• computer never recognized installation CD
  By A152T8LNJFKCR7 on 2010-02-01
  
  Was unable to install on a Windows XP computer. Actually tried two computers and in both cases the computer was unable to recognize the CD. Returning the product.
  
  
• Nothing but problems
  By A34D7Y56HQA7TF on 2010-02-06
  I have used Tax Cut for years and was satisfied. This H & R Block at home Deluxe (with state) was nothing but problems. I used the CD I received in the mail and had to try to install several times. Once it installed, it was a breeze. Had my federal taxes all done, then I downloaded state. All fine and good until I tried to install, over and over again..."installation wizard interrupted, try again"
  
  I tried at least a dozen times. I called twice regarding this, it was suggested, among other things, to uninstall the entire H & R block software and try everything again. Did that, now I can't reinstall the H & R software AT ALL. I keep getting a message that tells me to reinstall on the original computer I used for the first installation (I'm using the SAME computer).
  
  After tearing my hair out, I called a third time and insisted that I get a refund...after I ranted (respectfully, I'm not mean about these things, but very assertive)the young lady put me on hold for a few minutes and returned to let me know that I would be getting a refund. Thank god. I told her thank you for not trying to convince me to try any more "fixes".
  
  The people I spoke to on the phone were all very pleasant, but there is something off about this software. I've never had this type of problem with any tax software in the past.
  
  Now I get to buy a different brand and do my taxes ALL OVER AGAIN! At least I'm getting my refund.
  
  
• TAXES MADE EASY - GOOD VALUE
  By A3OKH5G69MS8D9 on 2010-02-10
  I rated this 4 stars out of 5 because it is a tax program, and no tax program is worth 5 stars (no joy in paying taxes). I had to prepare two fairly complex returns that included stock sales, pension annuity, IRA withdrawals, additional employment income, and all the usual deductions (taxes, mortgage interest, medical, etc.). The federal and state versions worked perfectly. The interface is different than Turbo Tax, but works more efficiently than TT. The key to using this program is running through the interview process and then going to the individual forms to double check everything. I found no errors that were not made by me when entering the data. The program picked up Quicken entries flawlessly. This is important to me, since I make heavy use of Quicken for all of my finances including all of my buying and selling of stocks. It was especially important this year, since like most people who invest, I had some carry over losses from 2008. The program also imported information from last year's taxes without problem. It also imported tax information from 2008 TT for one of the returns with no problem. This saves typing. In my case, the W-2 imports were not available (the same would have been true in TT) because of my particular employment. Hand entering the W-2 information was trivial. Bottom line. H&R Block's State plus Federal tax program is easy to use, accurate, and a much better value than the high priced TT. I also like the fact that you could do an unlimited number of tax returns and a generous number of e-filings. Reaching support for H&R Block is not easy (they are busy), but is a pleasant dream compared to contacting Intuit's TT or Quicken support. I am running the program under Windows Vista 64 without problem.
  
  
• Missed Basic Deductions
  By A1FOEJ3GJ51R0K on 2010-02-01
  This software cost me over $300.00 in basic deductions for state sales tax. It wasn't until after I e-filed that I realized the deduction was available. Apparently it was really well hidden in the software and was never mentioned in the interview questions. The software never alerted me that it was available in the final review. I will never use this software again.
  
  
• Just like TurboTax, but without the polish
  By A86X9SV545MK3 on 2010-02-12
  I've used TurboTax for more than a decade. I finally tried H&R Block. Here's what I found:
  
  --- HOW IT'S LIKE TURBOTAX:
  
  It imports my 2008 TurboTax data just fine.
  
  The interview process is pretty much the same as TurboTax: You go through a bunch of pages of questions. There are often hints such as "not common" to steer you away from unlikely checkboxes that sound tempting. There are links to relevant frequently asked questions along the side. You can easily view the corresponding tax form (or fill out the corresponding form directly) from any interview page.
  
  The e-filing system is the same. You get 5 free federal e-files. You have to pay $20 for each state e-file. I always e-file the federal and mail in the state.
  
  After you complete the federal questionnaire, you select which state you'd like to download (1 comes free with this product).
  
  
  --- HOW IT'S INFERIOR TO TURBOTAX:
  
  Maybe it was just me, but I got completely confused about how to include the 1099-G for last year's state refund. I ended up entering it manually through the forms.
  
  When I printed my state forms (New York), the instructions told me I had to attach a copy of my Schedule C from the federal return. (TurboTax just includes it automatically.) This is silly, and an opportunity to make a mistake.
  
  There is no equivalent to TurboTax's "supporting details" feature where you could press Ctrl-I on any field and fill out a little spreadsheet to show how you got your number. I always used to do that for my property taxes to show school tax plus county tax. If you want to keep a record of how you justify an entry, you'll need to do it somewhere else.
  
  
  -- CONCLUSION:
  
  H&R Block is pretty much the same as TurboTax, but without quite the same polish. Both programs feel very similar to use and they can import each other's previous-year tax files, so it's easy to switch back and forth from year to year. If the extra $15 or $20 you have to pay for TurboTax is bothering you, this might be the year to try H&R Block.
  
  
  
• BUYER BEWARE, NOT A GOOD PRODUCT!
  By A1U2BPIV9SO92J on 2010-02-02
  I have been doing my taxes and others now for over 25+ years. I usually use Turbo Tax but thought I'd give this product a try. WHAT A MISTAKE. The attraction was the 5 free efiles - NOT. Yes the fed efiles are free but they charge $19.95 for the State efile. I transposed my 2008 AGI when signing the efile consent and the IRS rejected my return. I went back and fixed this and refiled it and my state efile disappeared. I contacted CHAT and after almost 45 minutes someone was available and here was there answer 'Nicole H.: I apologize for the inconvenience, e-filing is not guaranteed. You have e-filed once, if it is not accepting it a second time, you must print and mail'. WHAT? I received an email stating to fix and resub the Fed efile and that the state was onhold. Now I'm being told to MAIL the state. I just can't believe this. This was really the final straw. What normally used to take an hour in Turbo Tax took 4 hours in this product. It is not user friendly, it is hard to get the big picture and I now know technical services hasn't a clue how the product works. If it's not in their book, forget it. Buyer Beware!!! You think you'll save money but you won't with this product.
  
  
• Misleading title
  By A1Z7L8EKW54NLF on 2010-03-21
  The product is supposed to be H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut]. One would assume that eFile is included for both Federal and State. NOT SO! State eFile is NOT included and cost you extra.
  
  
• huge mistakes
  By A3106W8MSU5IBG on 2010-02-17
  I have used this for years and this year I was completely unsatisfied. I had finished my taxes and almost e-filed without printing a copy, thank God I didn't. I realized the deduction pro had not been imported. The refund was updated but there was not a form showing my deductions. I had gone through the error check and had passed but I don't think I would have passed through the IRS. Next, I was about the file again when I realized they had chosen the lowest credit between the three credits available. It would have expected questions to determine our eligibility for the different credits and then their direction about which one to choose and why, just like they do with the determining standard or itemized deduction. I did my own homework and found out we qualified for the largest credit making a $900 difference. I am considering buying Turbo Tax so I can make sure I don't have any other big mistakes.
  
  
• No State E-File
  By A1Q43V6E93AZF on 2010-02-14
  Beware when you buy this that the price does NOT include a State E-File, which they will charge you an extra $20 for. I was disappointed as the description provided by H&R Block makes it seem like this program will take care of both your federal and state taxes. Its a good thing I only paid $20 for this, it is about all it is worth. Be sure to check your state tax websites before you give in and pay H&R Block $20 for your state e-file. I know in Virginia you can e-file for free, so I will be doing that.
  
  Next year, H&R Block should be more up front and explicitly tell you that e-filing your state return with this software will require an extra fee.
  
  The software works well enough besides that. My return is fairly simple though, I can't speak for the people who have 200 itemized deductions.
  
  Update: I am glad to see Amazon has apparently added a disclaimer on the product page to clarify that it does not include a state e-file. At least Amazon is upfront about the products it sells. Unfortunately H&R Block wasn't making that detail readily available when I purchased.
  
  
• State Prgram Download Was not Included in At Home Deluxe
  By A29CHNSD1T6ZFM on 2010-02-10
  Bought H&R Block At Home Deluxe at Amazon. On the back of the box on Amazon.com, it clearly shows one state program download is included. The one I received the check mark is not checked for the state program on the back of the box, and therefore mine does not have the state program included as advertised. The pop up screens says I have to buy the state for $29.99 when I tried to file for state return. I called customer serviced and was surprised to get a quick response. He emailed me the link to download the state and was able to install and file my tax return. I like the fact that now you can save your tax return in pdf format. Don't remember previous years have this feature?
  
  
• TaxCut over TurboTax - better value for your $
  By A1QL0PLO2E089B on 2010-02-03
  I've prefered TaxCut over TurboTax because it's easier for me to trace through calculations when I have an issue. For example I wanted to see exactly how my funds which had some Treasuries were taxed. You can open a separate window and see exactly how it's done; line by line, calculation by calculation. There's a function in TurboTax that tries to do the same thing but the calculations for the worksheets are not clearly displayed.
  Amazon shipped this item to me with in 2 days and I got regular shipping...awesome.
  
  
• BEWARE
  By A21EJ36VCZRHU0 on 2010-04-07
  I called H&R Block BEFORE purchasing this download and was told it was compatible with my bank/brokerage (Wells Fargo Advisors) and would also import my 2008 taxes from Turbo Tax. Well it does neither, there for unusable to me! I called H&R Block and Amazon, twice, and neither will give me a refund!!
  
  
• Easy to use product
  By AFNREQ4CI8VJH on 2010-03-29
  H&R Block At Home was very easy to use. I spent about an hour doing my taxes this year. Great experience. This is my third year using H&R's software on my mac.
  
  
• Was Completely wrong determing the eligibility for IRA Deduction
  By A3TIXMA6WXNGBW on 2010-03-27
  I entered all the info and and put in the IRA contribution for my spouse and it said.
  "Based on the information you have entered so far, none of your traditional IRA contributions for 2009 will be deductible would like to enter a contribution anyway? "
  In reality the contribution made by my wife is deductible and I have checked this with IRS.
  
  
• Zero support and no resposobility
  By ALGWBH4EGBVAX on 2010-03-27
  I have used Tax cut for a few years. I was happy as I have no issues. This year, not sure it is because Windows 7 or Taxcut (H&R Block At Home 2009), I got bad luck. I could not import data from last year's return. Then I realized its support is so bad. I was asked to try a few things found in their support knoweledge base. Sure it still did not work. Then I was told to enter the date myself! Because their is no error message when the import fails, I asked to escalate the issue to the engineer, at least to find out why. My request was rejected.
  
  
  
  

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