Complain about a product or service

H&R Block - Free Filing

H&R Block • Charges • Electronic Filing • Errors • "Free" Filing • Online • Refund Anticipation Loans • Taxcut • Option One Mortgage Corp. -- News • American Home Mortgage Servicing Agrees To 8200 Modifications • Massachusetts Court Stops H&R Block, Option One Foreclosures • Massachusetts Blocks H&R Block, Option One Foreclosures • New York Stops H&R Block's Deceptive Sweepstakes Ads • California Sues H&R Block • H&R Block Sells Subprime Mortgage Unit • H&R Block Launching Its Bank • H&R Block Threatened Employees, Spitzer Charges • H&R Block Settles Tax Refund Loan Suit • H&R Block Readies New Bank as Business Soars • NY Accuses H&R Block of IRA Marketing Fraud • H&R Block Goofs on Its Own Taxes • Children's Defense Fund: Tax Refund Loans "Indefensible" • California Sues H&R Block Over Its "Instant Refund" Loans • H&R Block Doesn't Block Identity Theft • H&R Block Will Settle More Payday Loan Suits • Option One Agrees to Clean Up Its Lending Practices in PA • H&R Blocked: Consumer Groups Oppose Tax Giant's Proposed Bank • Tentative Settlement in Tax Loan Class Action • Class Action Challenges Electronic Filing Fee • Supreme Court Rejects Block Appeal in Class Action • Judge Upholds Racketeering Complaints Against H&R Block, Household • Court Clears Class-Action Suit • Tax Loans Victimize Consumers --- • All About HSBC

JD of Los Angeles, CA January 30, 2010

I have been using the H&R block free tax filing service for three years now. I think it's a great service. You do have to be careful about the options you choose, or you will be charged. The free filing only applies to e-file on your FEDERAL return. certain income and age requirements apply. If you don't use the correct link, stating that you meet the requirements the free filing can direct you to Basic filing which will cost you.

Karen of Twin Falls, ID January 29, 2010

I just saw an ad on line for Free Filling with H&R Block, but when I created an account, it asked me to pay a fee of 14.95. What a joke! Then I wanted to talk to a real person on line and it gave me automated messages! I wanted to know if they would be asking me for my credit card next, but I didn't go that far.

Amanda of Princeton, WV January 20, 2010

Ok...There needs to a lawsuit filed against these 2 companies for their misleading and false information and "FLAT OUT LIES"! My husband and I have always used H&R Block except for last year. We used the FREE IRS eFile on the Government website. That return was received in about 7-10 days. Best thing is IT WAS FREE!!!!! We filed on January 14, 2010...we were as ALWAYS approved for Rapid Refund or a RAL and of course the Emerald Card. We chose the Emerald Card {my refund was over 9,000.00} and we only chose it because it was "the fastest way to receive your refund"...and is 20.00 cheaper than your paper check. ***HOWEVER***If you add up all the money you lose to access an ATM and those bank charges you will lose a lot of money...much more than 20.00***** When all you had to do was get a paper check and deposit it into your bank account!

Anyways my refund was supposed to accessible on this Emerald Card no later than MLK Day! NOPE!! Was not there today either. I started making calls and heard that we had been denied by HSBC Bank...WE USE THIS HSBC BANK EVERY SINGLE YEAR {except for last year}...My husband has a FICA Score of 744 {whoo hoo}, mine is around 680 give or take...SOOOOO, Credit Score was not the issue...We still DO NOT know what the issue is. I know that when I called H&R Block I could not get a direct answer...except for this...YOU HAVE BEEN DECLINED...WE CANNOT TELL YOU WHY BECAUSE IT IS NOT OUR SSN NUMBER!!!! So what did we pay the 29.00 in extra fees for "PEACE OF MIND"...Seeing how they do NOT know anything and CANNOT tell us anything

This is most certainly a RIP OFF...They are stealing OUR MONEY. Hey, the economy is BAD...If they cannot give loans then they need to stop ADVERTISING THAT THEY CAN. I did not desperately need my return in a 2 day period {I was however using the money to pay my deductable on my 9 year old daughters braces}...I think it shold be illegal at the way they are going about getting their money...H&R Block as well...Some people could have used that extra 250.00 that was paid to H&R BLOCK To buy food or pay a car payment or house payment...maybe got themselves a little caught up on bills...AND FILED THEIR TAXES FOR FREE FREE FREE FREE Online and got their return IN THE SAME EXACT AMOUNT OF TIME! Now my return will still be added to this stupid EMERALD CARD That I do not need and I will still have to pay an arm and a leg to have all my refund transferred to my bank account.

Brent of Slc, UT February 14, 2009

Brent of Slc UT (02/14/09)
I followed the link to HR Block Taxcut from the IRS website for free filing. Taxcut's link on the IRS website states that it is free if you are under 50 and your income is less than 56,000. I clicked the link and completed the free file federal return and when I tried to file, I was asked to pay 14.95. The online help stated that the free return if for 1040EZ only and the charge was because I had deductions. This is not stated on the IRS website or the HR Block website. Very deceptive and dishonest.

A lot of time and wasted completing a return that I will not file due to their deceptive charges.

Lisa of Vancouver, WA February 14, 2009

Lisa of Vancouver WA (02/14/09)
I did my own taxes using the free TaxCut online service. I have used H&R Block for 12 years, without problem...of course that was in office paying their fees. Having gotten te Emerald Card last year, I chose to have my refund deposited onto the MASTERCARD this year. Here is everything I'v been through since the IRS confirmed my refund funds were released Thursday, February 5th at midnight. 8/6/2009

1. Customer service rep who said it would go on card between 7pm and midnight EST 2. Customer service rep, refused to let me speak with supervisor and transferred me to an automated line 3. Customer service rep transferred me to a supervisor AGT2914 Supervisor then said she could not help but would transfer me to the department above her who could Was on hold for 41 minutes and 37 second, then was hung up on when company closed for the night at 1am EST 4. Tried calling back two times, not knowing company was closed, and was charged 2.00 each time for the automated system to hang up on me. TAX CUT ONLINE SERVICES Ref# RES4978376 Customer Service Rep AGT# 510221 No help, was referred either back to Emerald Card or HSBC Bank

8/7/2009 1. Representative told me I was computer illiterate and needed someone else to look over information. Was then told that either myself or the IRS had done something wrong and would need to fix through them. H&R Block District Office, Vancouver WA 1. Spoke with R. McNaley, who was unable to help me at the time but was also so professional a assuring that it helped calm me down. Thought that the deposit would surely go through Monday or Tuesday and was anxious to hear back from me that a resolution was found.

8/9/2009 IRS SERVICES Verified all information with IRS, including routing number and account number of direct deposit. Verified that the funds had been released from IRS to H&R Block Bank on Thursday, February 5th evening to ensure deposit the following day. Was told if no deposit was seen and H&R Block continued to be unhelpful to call back on Friday, February 13th and a funds trace would be placed. If the trace came back that the funds were received by the bank a fraud claim regarding the bank and undelivered funds could be requested. EMERALD CARD SERVICES Called back and spoke directly with a manager. He could not assist me but would transfer me to the department who could. On hold for 1 hour 17 minutes Hold music abruptly ended and I was disconnected.

TAXCUT ONLINE Was told by representative that they can only verify my e-fie status had been accepted by the IRS and that they could see when checking their refund status site that it showed my funds deposited on February 6th. DROVE TO LOCAL TAX PREPERATION OFFICE TO SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH MANAGER. Asked to speak with manager, none was available Spoke with A. Steen and explained what was going on. She took me to her desk and within 5 minutes produced a photocopied piece of paper that explained to H&R Block employees that deposits anticipated to be made to the Emerald Card on February 6th would in fact be deposited on February 10th. Because it was there for me to see in black and white, and someone had actually listened, I left satisfied. I called and left a message for R. McNaley, expressing how happy I was that one person in the H&R Block company took five minutes to give me resolution.

8/10/2009 NO DEPOSIT MADE 8/11/2009 Attempted to call H&R Block bank directly, but was transferred to technical assistance. Went into local tax preparation office and spoke with A. Keener, Office Manager, Tax Advisor 3 I showed her this log and explained my problem and she immediately referred to something called a settlement sheet? According to the sheet, she said, my refund should be deposited to my Emerald Card by midnight on February 13th. She was very nice and as helpful as she could be, as there are no representatives available for the bank only tax advisors. She gave me her card and said she would like to hear from me, either way, on Saturday. OTHER NUMBERS I WAS GIVEN: CLIENT SERVICES, TECHNICAL SUPPORT.

If its not on my card by midnight tonight (02/13/09) I will not only call the IRS and file a federal fraud claim agaist H&R Block Bank, but I will write to K. BARNEY, CEO of H&R Block Bank and R. SMYTH, CEO of H&R Block letting them know what kind of legal action they should expect against their company. I WILL NEVER USE H&R BLOCK AGAIN, NOR WILL I REFER ANYONE. THEY ARE CROOKS, THEIVES AND FORIEGN CALL CENTER LIARS.

We are late on rent/electric/water sewer/phone/school payments for my 7 year old son/car payments and have had to cancel our wedding, as it is now only 2 months away and reservations have been lost due to non-payment on Feb. 7th). (Refund amounts were 3409 and 805)

Willy of Thonotosassa, FL April 8, 2008

Willy of Thonotosassa FL (04/08/08)
Did you receive a mail from H&R Block that promise you a FREE filing but at the end are asked to pay 14.95? So did I.This is how I got around: call:1-888-482-9288 and explain the situation.You will be asked a few things like how much your gross income was for 2007.If you qualified before(2006),you will qualify again and will get a KEY CODE. Go to the filing page where is asked how to pay the 14.95 and choose KEY CODE(bottom one),then click NEXT. Fill in the KEY CODE and click NEXT.Now you'll see the 14.95 is deducted and the filing is FREE. GOOD LUCK.

Malissa of Hudson, CO February 15, 2008

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Follow us on Twitter.

Back to the top |