The Bottom Line
- Updated review: H&R Block At Home 2011 Review
H&R Block At Home tax software can be used online, and is available for installation on Windows and Mac computers. H&R Block At Home Best of Both is an especially notable offering that lets you prepare your own tax return, then have a tax professional review the return for $80 (at the time this was written). H&R Block At Home prices are reasonable. State and e-file fees are extra with some versions.
Pros
- Great value for feature set
- Worry-Free Audit Support with all versions, even free online version
- H&R Block At Home for Windows and Mac desktop includes 5 federal e-files, online includes one
- Help resources are easy to find and use
- Deluxe version supports investments
Cons
- Can't work ahead in return
Description
- Tax interview is faster than ever.
- If the software does not support an obscure tax form you need, your tax professional will help you.
- Help for using H&R Block At Home is neatly arranged and easy to scan, and hidden away until you need it.
- Saves time with download and import of W-2 information and 1099 data (depends on payroll processor and brokerage).
- Don't pay for H&R Block At Home Online until you file a tax return.
- H&R Block At Home Premium is a lower-cost alternative for self-employed individuals and those with rental properties.
- H&R Block At Home Deluxe supports investment-related tax issues, do not need to buy Premium version for this support.
- H&R Block Best of Both is a great value at $80 for those want a tax pro to review their return and answer questions.
- Tax-related FAQ's listed on the right change depending on the part of the return being worked on at the time.
Guide Review - H&R Block At Home 2010 Tax Software Review
Getting Started with H&R Block At Home
H&R Block At Home has a simple, minimalistic interface this year. The main menu indicates where to start in your return if some of the return is completed but unfinished, if you need to file your return or check the status of the filing.The Smart Import option imports information from last years' return prepared with H&R Block At Home (TaxCut), TurboTax or from an H&R Block office. W-2 and 1099 data from more payroll services and financial institutions can will import into your tax return this year, then reviewed as your work progresses. You can skip the import and enter all data yourself, but I'm not sure why anyone would do that.
The tax interview starts with a check list of tax-related family, work, property and investment situations that you may have experienced over the past year. Check off any that apply and the software will avoid asking you for information on tax issues that don't apply to your return. Going through the tax interview, most options for answers are linked to more information so you make the right selection. For more help, you can click on Guide Me, although in some cases thisd option provides less information than the information links.
H&R Block At Home does not let you to skip ahead in the return to enter tax data as it comes in. However, if your W-2's and 1099's import into the software, this isn't a problem. H&R Block prevents skipping around in the tax return to ensure that all tax topics are covered, and there is quick access to parts of the tax return that are complete with the Take Me To option at the top of the screen.
Getting Help
To pull off this year's clean, minimalistic look, H&R Block At Home consolidated all this information into a well-organized Personal Answer Center that is accessed by clicking on Get More Help.The Personal Answer Center is easy to scan and is broken down into sections for general Q&A, buttons to check e-file and refund status, clickable drop down boxes to get information buying the software and working with the software, filing for an extension, and gettihg help with technical issues. The Help from Our Tax Specialist search box retrieves answers to tax questions from a database of answers published by tax specialists.
Access to IRS publications, tax forms, tax information videos, tax term glossary are also found here, as well as the all-important Contact Us button with free live tech support help via chat or email, or to get answers from a tax advisor (1 question free, $20 per question thereafter, or free unlimited tax questions if you use H&R Block At Home Best of Both).
H&R Block Worry-free Audit Support provides help from an H&R Block enrolled agent to assist with IRS correspondence, audit preparation and representation if needed. Worry-free Audit Support is included with all H&R Block At Home versions, which is a real plus.
Going Through H&R Block At Home Tax Interview
Setting up an account to use H&R Block At Home online tax software is very quick and easy, and the tax interview moves along quickly. Charitable donations can be entered manually or imported to H&R Block At Home Online from H&R Block DeductionPro, which was easier to use this year.
H&R Block At Home Online has versions that offer income tax preparation features for just about any personal tax return, as well as at least one opportunity to ask a tax professional in question at no additional cost. While the software (formerly known as TaxCut) has always worked quite well, some features that were glossed over last year are now available to make using H&R Block At Home even easier. H&R Block At Home continues to be an excellent value for the price, especially H&R Block Best of Both at $79. See H & R Block At Home Features, Versions and Prices to select the best version for your income tax preparation needs.
