Guidance for all your personal tax situations. Federal forms. Step-by-step interviews guide you through a customized experience relevant to your tax situation. Everything you need to prepare your federal taxes in one complete program.Best Features:- Quickly import data
- Personalized tax advice
- Sale of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
No problems, some improvements over last year By Ali Julia
I've used H&R Block's tax software (formerly called TaxCut) every year since 1995. Several times when I saw a promotional deal I purchased both TaxCut and TurboTax to compare. I found that TurboTax did not do anything better than TaxCut while costing consistently more. In addition, I like the option of being able to file 5 free Federal e-files as I do taxes for other relatives who are less computer savvy.
If you encounter issues with display, such as not seeing selection boxes, check your screen resolution. Both Windows and Mac minimum requirement for the screen resolution is 1024 x 768 pixels or higher. At a lower resolution H&R Block software will have problem with display such as not properly displaying selection boxes. Screen resolution can be changed on your control panel by change PC's display settings.
I just finished a preliminary tax return and below are my observations. Note: the forms are not final until January 10, 2013.
Note that I purchased H&R Block Deluxe plus State, and in this review I am including only the review of the federal forms. The federal forms part of the product are identical, of course, whether one buys the State add-on or not.
1. H&R Block starts the interview process with an annoying up-sell pitch, recommending an upgrade from Deluxe to Premium even when it is not necessary.
It would have better if they waited until the financial information is entered and offered the Premium version only to those for whom it might make sense.
What is the difference between Premium and Deluxe? The Premium version offers advanced tools for self-employed and rental property owners: cost basis of home sales, dividents, gifts, and inheritance assets. It has advanced schedule C guidance to maximize deductions for self-employment income. And finally it has guidance for rental property income and expenses. The rest of the Premium package is the same as Deluxe.
Note that the Deluxe package has support for self-employed income as well as stock sale cost basis calculations. This year I had to do both, and I found the guidance to be sufficient to complete the forms.
2. As of 11/19/2012 videos for tax law changes were not available yet (the prompt said coming soon).
3. Minor pet peeve: Help is not context sensitive. For example, when you click on "learn more" about a particular topic the general help window opens but it does not show help topics for the specific topic that you were working on. Instead you need to search and know which words to use locate the relevant topics.
4. Good news: DeductionPro 2012 is now integrated into H&R Block, you no longer need to go to H&R web site.
5. H&R Block provides you some guidance for completing Form 1116 (foreign tax credit, for example from mutual funds). However, you need to keep switching between whole-form view to enter data and then back to interview to read the instructions. Even though the form where you can enter data is visible at the same time as instructions you cannot enter data into it until you switch into whole-form view. This is cumbersome, but at least there is some guidance for this form.
6. Copy and Paste from Interview screens is not possible. Sometimes I wish to do it for some issue as a reminder to myself. My solution is to do PrintScreen (holding ctl key, shift key, and PrintScreen key at the same time). This generates an image of the screen, which I paste into paint or photo editing software which I can print or save for later.
7. I don't use the default location for the tax returns due to how I set up my backup software. The H&R Block software does not initially remember this new location on the second start of the application, it told me I have no returns. I needed to pick the return manually from the File menu, as it did remember recently used files. The third time I started the software, it finally knew the location of the tax return file.
8. I use large font option on my monitor display and in the past had display issues (some things were displayed on top of each other). This year all forms displayed properly with this option. Nice!
9. H&R Block Deluxe entitles you to 5 free federal state e-files.
10. The price on this package changes day to day. I found a nice tools that shows history of Amazon prices. If you enter "price history alert" in Google it will come up at the top, it has the word camel in the name. I find this tool very helpful. I just looked up that the price last year during the tax preparation season hit the $20 mark on three different dates. You can set up an alert tool to email you when your desired price has been reached.
11. A note about digital download key-code
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I run into a glitch a solution to which I want to include
After I installed the software and started it for the first time it prompted me to enter a key-code. The prompt said that I should have received in the email after purchasing the software, however the email I received from Amazon did not contained a key-code. I had to call Amazon support and they told me that this information can be found following these steps
1) Log into Amazon
2) Select Your Account at the top right of the page
3) Select Games and Software downloads which is towards the bottom of the long page you see when you log in
4) Then under H&R software entry you will see the key-code that you need to enter to unlock the software
12. Update 12/10/2012. I received a question if H&R allows to install the software on two PCs. I found the answer on H&R Block web site FAQ under the topic "Installing Software on Another Computer"
There are just a few steps necessary to re-install the H&R Block At Home program from the CD you received in the mail. Follow the steps below to re-install the program or install it on a second computer.
Insert the H&R Block At Home CD into your computer.
Click the Need to Re-install? link on the menu bar at the bottom of the screen.
The Frequently Asked Questions page will open to the first FAQ titled, "Can I install the software on a second computer?"
Enter your activation code and last 4 digits of the credit card you used to purchase the program initially and click Activate.
You can find your activation code in your purchase confirmation e-mail.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
13. Update 12/18/2012. Adding another answer to great question to share with everyone.
Q: Is there an audit check which marks problems with red flags?
A: At the end of the interview process there is a check step (which you can run at any time, but the interview ends with this check). This step flags problems (e.g. missing information) and potential audit alerts (e.g. unusual deductions) with red flags , and reminders (e.g. things you marked tentative) with yellow flags.
14. Update 2/7/2013. I received a question if I had any problem doing updates of the software.
I have performed several updates without problems. If you have a firewall, the firewall prompts with a question if you trust the software and you need to reply "yes". If you say no, the install will be rolled back. If you accidentally reply "No" to this prompt, I would recommend uninstalling the software. Then installing it again, and then trying another update. Alternatively you can deactivate the firewall during the install.
I have been a H&R Block/TaxCut user for many years. The interview process is helpful in reminding you things you might have forgotten. 2012 H&R Block package addressed a couple of my old pet peeves (for example, integration with DeductionPro). So I am quite pleased with it and recommend it!
Ali Julia reviewMore Flexible For The Tax Wise By Aramovich
No given tax preparation program will suit everyone's every needs. But I tried the competition last tax year and I am back with Block.
It is more that an issue of familiarity that drove back into H&R's arms. This program is far more flexible for those of us who find it easier to enter certain data directly into the forms themselves bypassing the repetitive steps of an interview. This is especially true if you are entering a large number of stock transactions by hand - a necessary evil since some smaller brokers and/or funds may not feature electronic records transfer of any stripe.
This is definitely the best program from a flexibility point of view.Software Bug NOT Fixed By M. Spalmacin
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I haven't noticed any mention of this in the other reviews, so I'll mention it here. My version of the "H&R Block At Home 2012 Deluxe Federal" edition has a bug that as of February 18th has not been fixed, although I was told a fix was forthcoming.
The bug deals with an error in the software update process, such that the software update appears to process correctly, yet each time I start the program it again asks to perform the update I just completed. When I called H&R Block on Feb 11th to ask what's happening, the Customer Service Representative I spoke with said this was an "update loop" problem. He said it was a known problem and that a program "patch" was being prepared and would be available at the end of the week.
Well, the week passes and on Feb 18th I start the program and it tells me a new update is available. Great, I think, the patch the rep told me about is here. Ah, foolish optimism!
The new update exhibits the same problem -- the update is processed completely but each time I start the program it tells me that the update is available and must be processed. And a message is displayed on the opening page of the program that says "Next expected update January 10th". Well, it's now the middle of February and still no final IRS forms.
Argh! So even though my data has been entered and the return is compete, it can't be transmitted because H&R Block says some of the IRS forms are still "not final." Because of this, and in spite of the two updates I applied, H&R Block won't ship the return to the IRS.
I call H&R Block a second time and speak to different Customer Representative and explain the problem a second time. He says they know of no "update loop" problem and my description of what is happening is unknown to them. I try to explain that I'm screwed -- all my data has been entered and my return is complete, but H&R Block's version of the IRS forms is "not final." And their updates won't process. What can I do? Not much, actually, if I stick with H&R Block. After some discussion of possible things I might try, including a re-install and re-entry of my data, the representative offers to refund the money I paid for the software. I quickly accept.
What to do now? I get back on Amazon and order the corresponding tax package from TurboTax.
No problem entering my data into TurboTax and completing the return. No problem with IRS forms not being final. Frankly, it took me more time to install TurboTax -- and their required ".Net Framework 4" Microsoft application -- than it did to re-enter my data and finish my federal tax return.
So, even though it cost me seven dollars more for TurboTax, I'm happy. I'm very close to being out of Tax Preparation Hell. If I have any problems e-filing my TurboTax-completed return to the IRS, I'll post it here.
Otherwise, next year it's TurboTax for me.
----> Update: Wed, Feb 20th:
The IRS has accepted my E-filed return prepared by Turbotax. Hooray!
----> Update: Sat, Feb 23rd:
H&R Block refund has not hit my credit card account, so I call H&R Block again. Rep says he can find no record of my call on Feb 18th. (I can see where this is going.) I explain my problem again. Rep attempts to issue the refund but system rejects it because it's more than 60 days after purchase date. But, I now have a Case Number. He says he will escalate the issue and somone will call me within 48-72 business hours. This technique is known as "burying it in the bureaucracy." I think my cat does the same thing. My hope for the promised refund is beginning to fade.
----> Update: Sat, Mar 2nd:
A customer rep from HR Block called today to say they had scheduled the repayment of my purchase price and that it would appear on my credit card account sometime the week of March 4th. If it actually shows up, I'll report here.
----> Update: Mon, Mar 11th:
Still no refund on my credit card. It's a week past when they said it would show up. I've lost all trust in this company. Granted, it's the middle of the tax prep season and things might get missed. But how hard is it to override a program refusal to process a single refund? I worked 38 years in software programming and I know it can be done. Anyway, at this point I have given up and expect I will never see my refund. I hope it helps H&R Block's bottom line this year, because next year it won't.
(BTW, this is my second attempt to add the Mar 11th update to the Amazon review. Perhaps I ran afoul of the "review guidelines." I've reviewed other products in Amazon and always felt my comments were within the bounds of good taste, as I believe the earlier update here was. But if I did overstep the bounds, shouldn't someone at least have told me how or why it was refused?)
----> Final Update, Mar 18th:
Bank account still shows no credit card refund from H&R Block. So, I call H&R Block again and speak to a pleasant lady who placed me on hold for a brief time and then came back on the line to assure me the credit refund had been issued to my bank. She said they could call the bank and check on it for me. I said, No, they'd done enough to me already and that I was done with them. (I am left to wonder how my original credit card purchase at H&R Block made it into my charge account very quickly, while the refund transaction seems stuck in hell.) I told her to forget the whole issue and to close the case number with the comment that the customer is very upset, has lost all trust in H&R Block and will forever after use TurboTax or anyone else in the business except H&R Block. I'm sick of hearing lame, "My dog ate my homework" and "The check is in the mail" excuses. They can keep the miserable $32 and change. It's no longer worth my time to drag through this sort of runaround.
All of you have been warned. Patronize H&R Block at your peril.
****************** end of story ******************* The Best-Selling H&R Block At Home Deluxe 2012 [Download] then to sell out very fast, if this is a must have product, be sure to order now to avoid disappointment.
