Who prepares your tax return? Do you do this yourself? There was a time in my life when I could do that pretty easily. Danny got the W-2 and 1099 forms from employers and all I had to do was put the numbers in the right places and use the charts provided in the IRS tax booklet. However, I didn't attempt to deduct for things like mileage, clothing purchases for work clothes, and other deductions I probably could have taken. When it comes to those things, I'm a pretty timid filer.
So, in more recent years, I've used a local tax preparer service. They stay up-to-date on tax law, they know all the deductions that can legally be taken without throwing up a red flag, and they keep my records private. I do NOT use H&R Block.
Year before last, both my younger kids decided to take advantage of the H&R Block rewards program to file their taxes through them. Both were disappointed, not only with the small amount of the refund but also with the high fees incurred which robbed them even further of refund money. In fact, my son never did even get his cash reward from Block, nor his tax refund from the IRS. The IRS claims to have sent it, but it was never received by us. I have a sneaking suspicion that it went into the preparer's pocket, but there's no way to prove this.
H&R Block's business dealings have been fraught with trouble for a long time. From the California law suit against them regarding their so-called "instant refunds", to their own failure to fully report their income, to their lack of security when it comes to their customers' identities, I think this is a bad company to do business with on many levels.
I plan to use the preparer I've used and trusted for years now.
