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This post is sponsored by H&R Block but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
Online tax filing has to be one of the greatest inventions since the internet arrived. Gone are the days of going to the library to get forms and struggling to decipher them on your own. No more mailing them off and wondering with baited breath if you've crossed all your t's and dotted your i's. H&R Block’s DIY products make the online process even easier. So, grab some coffee, some comfy clothes (pj's in my case), all your tax documents, and let's get down to business!
I personally worked through the H&R Block online filing process. Like all products I bring to the blog, it had to pass my quality control test. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be a good fit for my readers. I've filed my taxes online for many years, and I didn't expect there to be much of a difference between the products. But I did discover quite a few stand-out differences, and in the future, I will continue to use H&R Block because of these. So, what were the things that stood out to me? Let's get started:
5+ THINGS I LOVED ABOUT FILING TAXES ONLINE WITH H&R BLOCK
- 1. THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Not everyone has the same tax needs. Since I own my own business, I knew I needed the Self-employed online product. This program has a lot of bells and whistles that are perfect for a home-based business like mine (I'll get into that a bit later). Not everyone needs that level of guidance though! My teenage sons both have part-time jobs. Since they don't have to worry about some of the more complex things, the basic Free online product was perfect for them. Did you catch that??? FREE!
We had our son set up his account and we worked through it with him. It was easy peasy. In an age of "snowplow" parents, we found this as a way to effectively hand over the shovel to our son. He had the assurance of us in case he had questions, and also the experts at H&R Block. We are proud that they are responsible young adults who have joined the workforce. But with that responsibility comes the reality of things like filing taxes.
2. TWO STEP VERIFICATION
Last year I attended the Mediavine Publisher's Conference that took place at Google in Sunnyvale, CA. Online security was something on the agenda, and I remember very clearly the talk about two-step verification being the wave of the future. By having a code sent to your phone or other methods, it's one more step to prevent hackers from getting your info. Security is important to all of us, and filing taxes involves a lot of delicate info. Having this option was very important to us and this gave us peace of mind.
- 3. UNLIMITED HELP FROM A REAL TAX PRO
If you need extra help, Block has your back! As I get older, it seems we have more "life changes" that pop up that cause a rift in how we do our taxes. This year was no different, having a freshman in college. By attending a University, we added a 1098-T form to our paper pile. With tax reform, this year more than ever tax rules and credits are constantly evolving, and you want to ensure you are doing everything correctly. H&R Block online offers live chat with an expert, screen sharing, and FAQ's right there on the side of the screen and formulated to fit the topic you are on at that moment. Real help from a real person at the touch of your fingertips! Did I mention the advice is UNLIMITED?
- 4. SAVE TIME BY UPLOADING LAST YEARS
I mentioned in the past, I'd filed with another company. I knew that I wanted to switch over to H&R Block because of some of the small business expertise and tax advice they offer. But I was so dreading starting over. I knew it wouldn't be too complex, but the thought of typing in everything all over again wasn't on my happy list. So imagine my surprise when I saw that I could import last year’s tax return (from another company!) with their easy import tool. With a few clicks through the info, it was all there, ready to go. It took less than a minute! AMAZING! My goal this year was to manage time more wisely and this was one of those ding ding ding moments!
- 5. NO HIDDEN FEES
I'm slightly lowering my head a bit in shame at having been a sucker in the past. I'm sure I'm not alone though. How many of us have thought we were paying one price, input all our info, spent all that time and effort, only to get to the end and have sticker shock? Whew, glad I'm not the only one. H&R Block offers NO HIDDEN FEES. Going in, I knew what I was paying for the Self-employed online product (which to me is a total bargain anyway!) and if it ever changed, they showed me why.
OTHER BONUSES I LOVED ABOUT WORKING WITH H&R BLOCK ONLINE
- I'm not gonna lie, sometimes technology still really wows me. One of the features H&R Block offers is uploading photos of a W-2. They simply texted me a secure link, I took a photo of my W-2, it magically went to the moon and back, and then it appeared right there on my laptop screen. The best part? The smart technology had also imported all the details, so I simply double checked each box to make sure all the info imported was correct. Saved me so much time. AMAZING!
- Another feature is the running balance that appears on the left-hand side in real-time. As I input info, I can watch my refund amount go down or up! It's fascinating to see what affects my refund amount, and by having this feature, I feel a bit more prepared on if I should be doing a happy dance, or if I should transfer some of my coffee break money into an account in case I owe something I wasn’t expecting.
- I'm loving the options for small businesses! I'm a one-man show around here. Some days the paperwork makes me want to crawl in a hole. To be honest, I put it off until the last possible moment. But H&R Block Self-employed online allows you to import all that info for free and it makes doing taxes so much easier.
Have you ever filed with H&R Block? What are your tax season time-saving tips? What features do you look for when filing online? Not a fan of doing it yourself, or filing online? No worries! H&R Block offers tax services for any way you file to fit your specific tax situation. There's in-person in a tax office, drop off, Tax Pro Go, a new virtual tax prep where you just upload your tax docs and a pro does the rest, or online. There is something for everyone! If you're like me and want to file online, check out their 4 online products and find the best fit for you. And remember, H&R Block believes in price transparency, so you’ll always know your price before you start!
As for me, I'm off to pop some bubbly and celebrate another year of taxes in the books. I'll be stopping to smell the spring wildflowers and patting myself on the back for having submitted them before the very last moment like years past!
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