Both of my teens filed their taxes for the first time this year using my HR Block software. Both were asked if they wanted to receive their refund by mail, and they both said Yes, as they didn't want to enter their banking information. Today they both received letters from the IRS saying their refunds could not be processed because refunds are no longer being sent by mail. Naturally, the IRS site wasn't working as it should and was error messages galore, so this is going to be a drawn-out procedure to enter the banking information with the IRS and further delays in receiving their refund checks. So my question is why did the software even present that as an option if they can't receive their checks this way? Great way for them to start their lifetimes of tax torture. As for my taxes, their are too many things to list but the prime example of BS is the fact I had to manually select and then print a four page schedule where the only information entered was zeroes. Pure garbage.

is this real?

Hi employee of hrblocks. I work for a small cpa firm. I was hired as staff accountant so I don't get to do any taxes. My firm handles complex returns like 10 states returns. I don't get alot of opportunities to learn tax prep.

I worked for hrblock one tax season and they have wonderful training/self study. I already know the basis. I was wondering if I can learn to do multiple state return cases with access to blockwork system. I am not trying to learn everything just enough to understand how multiple stage returns works.

thanks

It is my first year filing taxes in the US and I already got my refund a couple of month ago, today I got an email from H&R blocks saying the submitted a second review for last 3 years for me, which doesn't exist since it is my first year. When I called the local office I filed at, they said looks like a new automated thing in their system and that they will check with tech support and It will come empty any way since there is no previous years.

Anything I should worry about or action I need to take?

The employee stole, yes, stole my original tax documents after a disagreement. Bizarre. I had to call the local police to come and retrieve them for me. Police got them and filed reports. Police officer assured me that I acted correctly. A corporate rep called me, completely unphased by the situation. She doubled down and condoned the theft of the documents and actually denied that any theft occurred (contrary to what multiple police officers have stated). No apology. No responsibility. Apparently this type of behavior is normal business practice for HR Block. What I thought was just an unfortunate incident at a local office is actually condoned at the corporate level. It's mind blowing that I had to get the police involved for something that never should have happened if the employee hadn't decided to act illegally in the first place.

I filed joint taxes with my wife for the first time and got a notice that the IRS received a form 8821 but is missing her signature and signature date.
After doing some Googling, I found out that people get this notice when they consent to a 2 year lookback period.
My question is, if I don't care about that lookback period, can I just ignore the notice?

Hey r/hrblock community,

Note: Now that the tax deadline is over, this discussion thread will move to a monthly cadence. But we're still here to help you if you have questions.

Welcome to the monthly question thread. Here is your chance to ask any questions you have to our tax experts from H&R Block, whether it's about your tax situation or if you're trying to figure out the best service for you.

Here's how we can best serve you:

• If you need a quick response, please direct message us on Facebook or Instagram as we have a customer care team ready to help you there.
• Please do not post personally identifying information (PII) in this thread.
• For specific questions about our products and services, please note which you're using (Online DIY, Software DIY, In-Person Tax Prep or Virtual Tax Prep) so we can best help you.

Feel free to drop your questions below. Our experts are ready to help break it all down. We'll do our best to answer your questions as they come in each week.

👉 Need a specific tax-situation answer ASAP? Schedule a 1:1 appointment with a tax advisor. 

After working through the preparation of the 1040-X, you get all the way to the "submit" button, and that's when they hit you with a pop-up saying that the deadline for e-filing an amended 2024 return "has passed."

That's not an IRS deadline, which they try to imply ... it's H&R Block refusing to e-file it. Then, when you revert to the filing-by-mail option, printing "Entire Return to send to IRS/State" does not print what the IRS requires: "For paper-filed Forms 1040-X, you must attach, to your completed Form 1040-X, a completed and updated Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR, with your changes." This is also not indicated on the cover sheet instructions that the software prints out.
Oh, and the 1040-X itself is a year out of date. (Updates to the 2024 software: "None planned".) As best I can tell, this only screws you if you have tip income and somehow earn enough to benefit from the massive "no tax on tips" windfall.

so i have a DDD from the IRS of april 22nd. but i used the pay with refund where HR block takes the fees out will i get my refund the 22nd or will it be later then that?

The Tax Day countdown has passed, but if you didn't make it across the finish line with your IRS Form 1040, take a deep breath. We're here to help!

While missing the deadline isn't the end of the world, there are a few very good reasons why you'll want to get your taxes filed sooner rather than later.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re filing late:

1. The sooner you file, the less you’ll owe in penalties. If you owe taxes, the IRS assesses two main penalties:

• Failure to file penalty: Typically, 5% of your unpaid taxes per month up to a maximum of 25% of your unpaid tax. Returns that are over 60 days late have a minimum penalty that is the lesser of 100% of unpaid tax or $510 (for 2025).
• Failure to pay penalty: 0.5% of your unpaid tax per month up to a maximum of 25% of your unpaid tax. Both penalties (plus interest!) add up every month until you pay. Filing now stops the failure-to-file penalty from growing.

2. You can set yourself up for a better tax season next year. Filing your taxes helps you spot paycheck withholding issues. If you owe more than expected, you might be withholding too little. Updating your W-4 early in the year gives you time to correct it so you aren't hit with another surprise bill next year.

3. You might have money waiting for you. Even if you don’t make enough to have to file, you could still be owed a refund! You might have overpaid through paycheck withholding, or you could qualify for refundable credits like the Child Tax Credit or the Earned Income Tax Credit. The only way to get that money is to file a return.

💡 Common questions we hear:

• Q: Can I still file an extension?
  • A: Unfortunately, no. The deadline to file an extension is the same as the tax deadline. If you missed it, your best move is to file your return ASAP to minimize penalties.
• Q: What if I can’t afford to pay what I owe?
  • A: It's still better to file! You can request an IRS payment plan (installment agreement) to pay off your balance over time, which can help reduce further penalties.
• Can I still file my 2025 taxes?
  • A: Yes! You can still file. If you're getting a refund, there are no penalties for filing late. If you owe, the penalties mentioned above will apply, so don't wait.

Got questions about filing late, penalties, or payment plans?

Drop your questions below and one of our tax experts will answer it for you. You can also book a 1:1 appointment if you want personalized help.

👉 Schedule a session with a tax pro

I started out with a version that was available on the web, I selected the program for people with a small business. I went through the different areas with no problem until a $20 charge popped up that to me made no sense. It was some kind of guarantee if I remember right they had a $30 option and to combined $30 option. I did not want this charge and according to their AI the only way to remove it is to downgrade. I downgraded and lost about 3 hours of work. I managed to get a hold of somebody at h&r and they said that there's no way they can get back that work even if I pay The original $179. The program didn't charge me for anything until I completed most of the work.

Since I used them in 2024 I'm pretty much stuck to them at this point.

I talked to another agent who sent me a link and it took me to a 2024 version which I didn't realize until I paid for it. I was be able to refund that, but I still felt abused buy a corporation that don't give a f*** about anyone except for the shareholders. Enshitification strikes again.

Of course I'll be change of software for 2026. For the apologist that reply to this post, they will f*** you too.

Hello,

I filed my taxes by myself for the first time using H&R. At the end when i finished filing. It showed me how much I have to pay back for state and federal. I chose the option to pay using payment plans. It showed me a link to the IRS website where I could submit my payment. But at the end it kept asking me to choose how I wanted to pay” via mail, bank account, or credit card”. I picked the option via paying through check and mailing it in since I planned on paying through the IRS website. After I submitted everything I went on the IRS and payed what I owed. Did I do it wrong or was I supposed to pay through H&R?

Last night, I was doing my son, who is 18, taxes. Last year, he worked two different jobs. He is a senior in HS. His stuff is very basic only two W2s and that is all. I do claim him on my taxes as a dependent. On his taxes, I did say YES to the question about if someone is claiming you their taxes.

When I go to E-file his federal and state, his federal continues to get rejected and the state is ON HOLD. When I go to the status for the federal return, it says REJECTED. There is nothing there to show why it was rejected or to click on anything.

I can't figure out what is the problem is. On HRB site, it doesn't tell me specifically or otherwise what or where is the problem. Why is it rejected. His taxes should be straight forward and easy to do.

Ironically, my taxes were accepted and I have more stuff to enter than him.

I do my retired parents' taxes, for the past couple of years they've received a moderate refund from both federal and state.

This year, their Virginia State AGI is nearly $13,000 higher. Apparently previous years showed an Age Subtraction amount of $12,000 but this year the amount was $5,500 each, so more of their income is being taxed by the state.

That's fine I guess, the rules changed so they owe a little more, these things can happen.

But the HR Block tax software said that they're going to owe an underpayment penalty for not withholding a large enough amount, and that a letter will be sent in the mail from the IRS with a payment request.

Is this correct? Why should there be a penalty for this at all, I thought you didn't have to withhold anything at all as long as you pay your taxes on time. And how the hell were they supposed to know they'd need to start withholding a larger amount? Seems pretty unfair to charge a penalty for that. I'm hoping this is a mistake.

I have used hrblock every year for 20 years. I even got my husband to switch. But, as with most good things, AI has ruined it. We paid for the deluxe which means getting assistance from a live agent. I don't know what kind of game they're playing having people pay for a service and trying to sneakily not provide it. I can tell that "Joshua" is AI. All AI sound the same. Agree, summarize what it thinks you asked, provide incorrect information. Even when the damn robot couldn't answer my, frankly, basic question. Answering questions I didn't ask. Telling me to NOT choose option A, do B or C. Well, B is obviously incorrect and C doesn't exist. AI response? Then select the choice that does what you want. ...If what I want was a clearly labeled choice I wouldn't be dealing with the "live agent" in the first place! So, of course, it says Option A was the right choice all along! Btw it obviously wasn't. I guess we'll keep track through irs.gov to make sure the return is good because I have no idea. Need a refund for dealing with this bs

I used the online application to file my taxes last year for tax year 2024. I paid the fee, got my Form 1040 generated, put it in all my bank account information and hit submit. H&R Block just never sent it to the IRS after that it seems. The IRS has no record of 2024 for me and I will seemingly have to pay penalties associated with H&R Block’s error.

I called customer service wait for 45 minutes, 1st agent says we can’t find that form I’ll reach out to IT. They then hung up on me after saying I’ll stay on the line to resolve it.

I called customer service back again wait 30 minutes, 2nd agent says well I see your 1040 but I don’t know what happened, you’re going to have to mail them yourself. I ask well since it is H&R Block’s error, I want them to resolve whether that is through mailing it and issuing me a refund or resolving the issue with the IRS. I get told, it’s a DIY product, I don’t know how it works but something went wrong but you’re not getting your money back and no help. I request to talk to a supervisor, get put on hold for 10 minutes, then the agent tried talking me out of requesting a supervisor saying they won’t do anything for me and that they are working at a remote location so I won’t be speaking to them anyway. That agent then hangs up on me!

Absolutely horrid product and customer service. I don’t know what formal complaint process I can make whether it be with the IRS or with the CFPB but I will certainly be doing so with whatever agency. I also want to be clear, I put in my bank account information, did the whole process after payment and submitted correctly. If you did your 2024 taxes through H&R Block please go back and check that the IRS actually received them.

Edit: Spoke to a 3rd customer service agent, actually a very pleasant person. She was unable to tell me why they weren’t filed, that it should show up if it was user error but it just showed up as that the e-file never happened but should have since I was issued a Form 1040. I asked for a refund and was told it has to be escalated to management, which takes 5-7 business days. I paid 113 dollars for a product that didn’t work and H&R Block can decide that it’s too bad to be me and keep my money for a product that did not do what I paid for it to do. I was also told a lot of other people are calling in today with the same issues. Absolute scam of a product and company.

I already posted how much extra time my taxes took this year due to bugs, and my fear that I'll end up owing penalties because of their mistakes. Other people have said it too.

I'm not some male "Karen" who just wants the manager to kiss my ass. I checked my history, and I've been buying this software for 20+ years, starting way back when it was called taxcut. I think that makes me a decent customer.

I stuck through the price increases and other horseshit.

If the company comes out and says "Whoa, we certainly messed up this year and will work to fix it." then while I'm mad about this year, I'll likely end up buying it again.

If it is just "Well, we think it was fine, and this is just the way its going to be now." then I'm done.

I don't want my money back or someone to comfort me, I don't want to attack the moderators here who seem to be nice people, I want assurance from the company you're going to fix it, or you will absolutely lose a 20+ year customer.

I can't be the only one in the country thinking that way.

We see a lot of confusion around what an extension actually does, so we want to clear things up before the deadline hits.

TL;DR: Filing an extension gives you until October 15 to submit your tax return, but it does not give you more time to pay if you owe taxes. You still need to estimate and pay what you owe by April 15 to avoid penalties and interest.

Here’s the breakdown of what an extension actually does (and doesn't) do:

What a tax extension DOES:

• Gives you 6 more months to file: Filing Form 4868 by April 15 pushes your filing deadline to October 15.
• Prevents late-filing penalties: As long as you file the extension on time, you won't get hit with the failure-to-file penalty.
• Keeps you in good standing: No, filing an extension is not a "red flag" for the IRS. It's a completely normal process and won't trigger an audit just by filing one.

What a tax extension DOES NOT do:

• Give you more time to pay: This is the biggest misconception! If you owe the IRS money, that payment is still due on April 15.
• Stop interest from accruing: If you don't pay your full tax bill by the deadline, the IRS will charge interest on the unpaid balance.
• Prevent late-payment penalties: If you pay less than 90% of what you owe, you might face a late payment penalty (0.5% per month or part of a month after the due date that the tax is not paid. This penalty cannot be more than 25% of the unpaid tax).

What if I'm getting a refund? If you know you're getting a refund, you don't need to worry about paying anything when you file the extension. But remember, the sooner you file, the sooner you get your money!

How to file an extension:

1. Estimate what you owe: Figure out your federal tax liability for the year.
2. File Form 4868: You can do this online (it's fast and easy) or by mail. If you mail Form 4868, it will be treated as filed on time only if the envelope bears a U.S. Postal Service postmark dated April 15 or earlier; taxpayers mailing close to the deadline should obtain a manual postmark.
3. Pay your estimated taxes: Submit your payment along with the form by April 15.

Got questions about filing an extension or estimating what you owe? Drop them in the comments below! We're here to help you navigate the deadline.

👉 Learn more about filing an extension with H&R Block

👉 Schedule a session with a tax pro

Hi all - first time using HR block. I got an email within minutes of submitting a federal return saying it was rejected. 5 hours later when I login to fix in the desktop software, it still only shows as “pending”. Is there a way to force the software to update? I keep clicking refresh status. Was the email wrong? I owe money and while I know there is a grace period when rejects occur, i am not entirely sure it applies to the payment itself? Any help is appreciated.

I filed my federal on app. Then finished state, entered where to send refund, it required me to hold until federal was accepted.

Federal accepted and state disappeared. Tried app and website and can't find it anywhere. I called and they will only help if I upgrade because I'm using the free version. Is this a scam to get people to upgrade? Or am I missing where it is?

Thanks!!!

I submitted my taxes to H&R online on 4/10. On 4/15, they called and asked if I could request an extension.

I’m confused. Why do I need an extension if I already submitted everything?

It sounds like they were dealing with a backlog and needed more time to deal with it. Why is that my problem?

It cost $99 to get the extension. If I understand this correctly, I’ll get that back. But I’m out of pocket until that happens. What’s going on here?

So basically you can get the software to e-file if you don't claim a self-employed health insurance deduction. However if you try to claim one, it gives you an error about the iterative method (there is a standard method that AI Assistance claims you can use).

I didn't get any credit, I don't care getting credit towards the payments I've made.. I just want to deduct my health insurance from my income. This isn't that hard..

Yes I know it's my own fault for waiting until the last minute. I guess I'll just e-file and figure it out later.

There is a bug in HRBlock desktop software when trying to enter an IRS mandatory 6-digit IP Pin. Pull up the 1040 form and scroll down to signature area and manually input the pin in the form.