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H&R Block - Tax Return Errors

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jake of wahiawa , HI February 8, 2010

ok so me and my wife are filing jointly this year. and on the FIRST day of the military getting our W-2s i go in and get my taxes done. im thinkin hey my mom and dad have used them for a few years we will give it a try. i could have gotten this done on post for next to nothing but me and my wife really needed our return.

i filed on the 20th of janurary. its now the 7th of feb. what happend to the supposid 8-15 days and my taxes will be in. and to top it off i got a text sayin my money was deposited. and there was NOTHING in my account.

i called H & R block. they said they dont do emails.2 hrs later my best freind who also filed there got the same email from them. its now 4 days after they said they deposited the money into my account. where did my money go?

hsbc sent me to some dumb automated site that was NO help, my bank says the money isnt there and the people working at the tax place "well the ones we worked with" seemed very incompetent. where did my money go, and why did i pay 200 to have it done quickly when it really wasnt done that quickly?

late on the tax return, bills due. no money. no confidence in this company what so ever. next time im getting this done on post "for free". its faster and the money gets there in "5" days.

Rodney of Trinity, AL February 6, 2010

Due to a mistake on the part of H & R Block I was denied my entire refund this year. H & R Block screwed up on my taxes according to the IRS. I tried to ind from my tax preparer who is supposed to know what she is doing. She said she would look into the matter and has since stopped answering my calls. I figure this is because she is aware to the fact that her daughter is the one who made the mistake on our taxes in 2007. This mistake is now going to cost me 4,383.45 to the IRS. Of course H & R Block has a guaratee for this problem and promises to fix any such matter that occurs by their preparers. Unfortunately I guess that they have forgotten of this promise. This could not have happened at a worse time. I have been out of work for a year and was counting on this money to pay some bills. Thanks H & R Block. I'll make sure that i will warn as many as possible to stay away.

Jennifer of Bellaire, OH February 5, 2010

I am originally from Newark, Ohio and have done my taxes with H & R Block for several years now, at least 10. I used the same office and the same tax preparer from 2002 until the 2009 season. Back in 2005 I began receiving letters in the mail from the IRS saying that I had not paid the school taxes that I had owed. I kept getting the run around with them trying to figure it out, and every year that I went back to H & R Block, Debbie, the tax preparer kept saying she was taking care of it and it would no longer be a problem. Then the year the government started the stimulus payments, I only received a partial payment. I also only received a partial payment for my federal tax refund for 2008. I finally got to the bottom of what was going on with my school taxes. Debbie was entering in on her computer when she was preparing my taxes, that I lived in the Licking Valley School District instead of the Heath school district (which does not have school taxes).

There is only a difference by one number, the last digit.The school district they claimed I lived within actually started about 1/8th of a mile, approx 4 houses up the road from my house. My kids even attended Heath city schools. Where the Valley district started is where the road I lived on went from being just rural to more country. As of the 2008 tax season the IRS had offset and kept approximately 1400 of my money that should have came to me, with the stimulus payment and federal returns. I attempted to get H & R Block to correct the problem and retrieve my money since I always paid the extra 30 piece of mind guarantee. They wouldn't do it, claiming that my address automatically kicks up the Valley district instead of Heath. But the thing is, everyone in that area knows where the districts stop and start. I have informed Debbie from the get go that my kids went to Heath City Schools, not Valley.

She never gave me a school income tax return or form to sign and mail in myself for Valley and when their computers automatically kick in something like that, they most generally have the option to change it if need be. The really bad thing was, I lived in a set of country town-homes on t he outskirts of town within Heath city limits. My mailing address was in Heath AND DEBBIE WAS MY NEIGHBOR IN THE SAME TOWN-HOME COMPLEX!!! Which is how I knew her and why I began going to her in the first place. So the IRS tells me I have to gather several pieces of documentation, including statements from the property manager stating that I lived there and the dates, letters from the Heath schools my kids had attended and the dates and letters from all the utility companies I used while I lived there. I was told by the IRS that if I could provide all that information, even just fax it directly to the person I spoke to, that within 6-8 weeks I would receive all the money that they had kept from me over those few years, with interest, totaling around 3000.

So I spent several days, a few weeks gathering and getting all this. I faxed it all as asked, and guess what, 10 weeks later, no response. Spoke to the same person that had told me to do this, and they had no record of ever receiving any of it. Well, I had been smart enough to keep copies of all of it, so this time I faxed and mailed it all in. Another 3 months go by, no response, this time they are saying I did not send in all of it and it went to the wrong department. When I went crazy and threatened with a lawyer, they claimed that they could not use any of the information because it was dated more than 30 days prior, so I needed to retrace and do it all over again!!! Then this year I move to Bellaire. Went back to H & R Block, different office. The preparer, Elizabeth screws up two of my kids' SS #'s, flipping them around. SO when the IRS receives my return, the reject it claiming the numbers were not matching up to prior years.

Elizabeth calls me the next morning to tell me it had been rejected and acted as if I had handed her false social security cards the day I had my taxes done with my husband. When I point out her error, she stumbles on her words and says she will correct it right away and resubmit it. We had applied for the RAL 1-2 day loan. The day we prepared our taxes, we received almost 900 or of 8000 refund and was supposed to get the rest within 1-2 days. After she corrected the problem, the IRS accepted the return, but then the bank denied the rest of the RAL because of the "offset" from all them previous years' error from Heath with t he school district thing. So I paid 406 in all the H R Block filing fees and RAL fees and interest to the H & R Block bank, but still have to wait ( so they say) 8-15 days until I get my return (Feb 12th).

But the website for the IRS says that I will get it around Feb 16th if there are no mistakes and if we don't owe any other taxes. So since the RAL was denied due to the offset, taxes owed, will I really get it between the 12th & 16th or after they take what they say I owe again (another 1200 with interest and penalties) will I have to wait several weeks, and be the last to receive my refund? I am done with H & R Block. I plan on getting back all that money this year that they have kept, come hell or high water and from now on I am doing my own taxes with Turbo Tax.

Daniel of Henderson, NV February 3, 2010

I filed my 2009 taxes with H&R Block on the 18th of january. The IRS accepted my return. The Money was depositied into H&R Blocks Bank account on the 25th which i got an email from H&R Block telling me that my money is in their account and i will get it in 2 to 3 days. So 8 Days later i called them back and they told me i will get it the next day.

So they next day came around and nothing. Still to this day i have nothing. I used H&R Block because on their ads they state their the fastest in getting you your return, but by far they are the slowest. My roommate filed hers on the 22nd and get it 5 days later. I have been waiting for 16 days now. I need the money because my rent is due my car broke down and i need to get it fixed. I work in retail so i dont make much money at all.

Melanie of Medford, MA February 3, 2010

Went to H&R Block online to do my federal taxes. I have done my taxes online with them for the past few years. My taxes are fairly easy so I chose the H&R Block at home free edition federal tax return. A pop up appeared stating that I could upgrade to basic for a fee and they would import last years information to make the process easier and minimize data entry errors.

I bypassed the basic option, I was 95% done when it asks me to input my 2008 AGI and Pin. Previously I have been able to see my previous years tax returns that I have completed, this year I can't. I did not print a copy of my cover sheet when I did my taxes last year as I thought it would be easily accessible as in years past. The H&R website states the following: To print a previous year return, please follow the directions below:

Log in to H&R Block At Home Online. On the Main Menu under My Account, locate the Download/Print Previous Returns section. Click the link for the return you need. For example, to print your 2008 return, click Filing Year 2008. When I do this, I only have the option to Download/ Print my 2009 return. Another disclaimer: If you don't see View Prior Year Returns or any tax year links on the Main Menu, either you didn't use the correct username and password to access your prior year return or you didn't complete and pay for that tax return using one of H&R Block's online programs.

I have the e-mailed receipt showing payment for my 2008 tax return with H&R Block Online. This is very frustrating to me, I was thinking of giving in and just refiling with the basic and paying the fee so the previous AGI and PIN would be imported, but when I log in it just automatically reverts me back to my saved information. Free filers beware...or just make sure you have all your information from 2008.

Jessica of Hillsboro, OR February 1, 2010

My husband and went in to get our taxes done, which we have done every year without a problem. Well, this last tax year (2009), my brother stayed with us for 7 months of the year and didn't work or provide anything to the house. I also didn't work, but my husband and I always file. Well, the preparer said that we were not able to claim him as he is not a relative listed in their "drop-down" menu of allowable dependants MJF that can live with you part of the year. She stated that he would have had to live with us the entire year as he is not on their list as qualifying relatives for only part of the year.

My husband and I took her at her word and were prepared to let it lie, until my mom called me and said she was looking on the IRS's own site and it states in publication 501 page 17 that a qualifying relative IS a brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and so on. so, he is a qualifying relative of my husband AND did not have to be with us the entire year. Now we are having trouble telling them this, and they are fighting it saying he cannot be claimed.

However, I spoke to the IRS and the man I spoke to stated that I was right in my assumption and that in the drop-down menu they should have claimed him as a brother because publication 501 page 17 states that he can be a brother-in-law as a relative AND only be with us a little more than 6 months (he was here for 7) AND just because I didn't work doesn't mean that I can't claim him being as we are MFJ on the return...Now she is arguing with me saying that we can't claim him because he wasn't here the whole year, and this office has said they will do an ammended return, but cannot give us our 193 back because it's "already in the system."

My husband and I just want them to do the ammended return and pay back the 193 when we get our return. (We did the "pay with taxes option, and we just want that money put on with the taxes we were already going to get). We have come on some very hard times, and this just makes it that much worse. They have a "no-mistake guarantee" for crying out loud, and this is a HUGE mistake that nearly cost us 500! Needless to say, my husband and I will not be using them again. This H&R office nearly cost us an extra 500, plus the fact that they won't pay us back for mistakes they have made! (or will cost us, as we haven't fixed it with them yet, I just wanted to warn people)

Robert of Fair Haven, NJ February 1, 2010

I compared the NJ State Tax portion of H&R Block 2009 Software to the online Turbo Tax version and discovered a discrepency. The H&R Block software did not recognize overpayments of Box 14 entries on the W2's, resulting in 25.00 less of a refund. The Turbo Tax software found the overpayment. Tech support from H&R Block told me to return the software to where I bought it for a refund.

Meghann of Hoffman Estates, IL January 29, 2010

I filed my 2008 tax return at H&R Block. I had a statement reporting roughly 3,000 in child care (for my 4 year old daughter) that I had paid to a Lutheran School. As she was doing my taxes, Amy S., my tax "professional" notified me that I could not claim this expense anywhere on my taxes because it was pre-school and not daycare. I was sure she was wrong, but she insisted and refused to include this credit on my taxes. She convinced me that it would be illegal and she would lose her job if she added this expense to my return.

I was upset, but Amy and the store manager both explained over and over again that they could not do this. I should have walked out with my paperwork, but I didn't want to be rude, so I allowed her to e-file my return that same day. When I got home, I called another H&R Block in the area and asked about my childcare expenses.

The woman at the other Schaumburg location told me that indeed, the expenses should have been claimed on my return, and that I could come in after April 15th to file an amended return. I knew that H&R Block was promoting that "your taxes will done right the first time or your filing fees are free." I was planning to go forward with a refund claim once my amended return was completed so that I could prove that they did, in fact, make a mistake the first time.

Surprisingly, Amy called me the next day to tell me that she did, indeed, make a mistake with the child care expenses, and that she would file an amended return for me after April 15th. (They couldn't bother fixing this problem during their busy season.) When I mentioned to Amy that I intended to get my 193 in filing fees returned to me, she told me that she would have a manager give me a call. Well, guess what, a manager never called me, and every time I called to speak to Amy, or a manager, for the next three months, no one would accept my calls.

I tried calling customer service and any other number I could find, but there seems to be no one in charge. Apparently, all locations are independent from one another. Finally, after about 50 different phone numbers, and 10 hours of hold time, I was able to get the number for a "regional manager." This manager told me she wold "look into it" and give me a call back, but even she wouldn't return my call once she realized that I was looking for a refund.

I eventually gave up and just paid an independent accountant to amend my taxes. In July, I received an additional 960 from the IRS. Basically, H&R Block's "money back guarantee" is a lie. They do not issue refunds for filing fees when they make mistakes. Heck, they will not even fix their own mistakes. Stay away from these scam artists!

I had to pay an independent accountant 60.00 to amend my tax return when H&R Block would not return my calls. Additionally, I paid 193 dollars for a tax return done improperly.

Mae of Zion, IL January 29, 2010

My sister took it upon herself to use my children's social security numbers when she filed her income tax in 2008. This was done without my permission to her. No one contacted me. I found out when I filed my income tax that my kids numbers had already been used. I ended up owing the IRS 1300 plus from this transaction. My sister called me after she has used one of my kids social security numbers this year. Now the IRS is keeping my miniscule income tax this year to offset last years amount.

Why is it possible for people, be they family or not be permitted to use another person's children's social security numbers with not so much as a courtesy call to the parent? Suppose this same scenario had taken place from a complete stranger. Yes, my kids do stay with her for convenience where they go to school.

However, I still there should be some sort of notification process from the HR Block Offices as well as the IRS when someone is using social security numbers that belong to someone else. My sister should have asked me. HR Block should have contacted me as well as the IRS. I was counting on this small refund to tide me over until my next pay day. I don't even have gas money to get to work. The lack of coordination/communication involved in this matter is unacceptable.

Evelyn of Midway, GA January 27, 2010

I used H&R Block to prepare our 2008 tax returns. Not only did we pay over 100 dollars for basic return. We are military as well. I went to pick up our return after it was printed our and placed in their usual envleope. I should have looked inside but I NEVER would have thought this. THESE PEOPLE GAVE ME SOMEONE ELSES TAX RETURN. I am sitting here with this poor mans SS#, Bank rounting and account number and everything. And the worst thing is SOMEONE HAS OURS AS WELL. This is our most personal things about us and we can't just change SS#'s now can we. We are very very upset.

On top of it after I called and reported it and asked for a copy of our 2008 return because we need it to file for this year they want to charge us 20.00 for the copy and also we have to wait 5 days just to talk to someone (district manager) about the issue to get it straight. I am beyond upset now. My husban is in Iraq right now and I have not been able to tell him the issue. But I am looking for whom I can report this too because someone is out there with our personal information.

We will never ever use them again and I am also reporting them to the US Military services because if this is how they do business I think they should be on the can not do business with list for sure. This is dangerous. MASSIVE STRESS that someone could have my bank account information and my SS# as well as my husbands. Stress of not being able to go ahead and file our return...stress of having to wait for a call back. unacceptable service.

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