H&R Block 2024 has excellent live tax help options and offers the best free experience, which is why it’s our Editors’ Choice this year.
The main downside to H&R Block in 2024 is that its interview-style platform doesn’t guide you like TurboTax does. Its AI-powered tax help chatbot is also not available to taxpayers who file returns for free. Access to a tax advisor is also not available. Switching plans is still a little tricky.
Who Should Use H&R Block 2024 Tax Software?
If you want to save money by skipping TurboTax, H&R Block 2024 is virtually the same. Switching is easy: You can transfer your data directly from TurboTax software or upload a PDF of your previous year’s tax return.
You won’t find a slightly better user experience in TurboTax, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better free option with as seamless a filing experience as H&R Block 2024. It’s free online version covers students and adults with simple returns and allows for a wider range of credits and tax forms than its competitors.
Like TurboTax, H&R Block 2024 also charges customers a hefty fee per state tax return: $49 per return. So if you file more than one state return, you should go elsewhere. For example, Jackson Hewitt also offers unlimited state returns in addition to your federal return for $25. FreeTaxUSA charges just $15 per state return, offering another affordable option.
If you don’t qualify for H&R Block 2024 Free Online, there are ways to file your return for free on another platform. Cash App Tax lets you file a tax return online for free, regardless of your tax situation. The IRS Free File program allows taxpayers with incomes up to $84,000 to file their returns for free through partners like TaxAct and EasyTax Returns.
However, if you use software other than H&R Block or TurboTax, you’ll notice a significant decrease in quality. Many other tax programs require you to enter most of your information manually and work on a platform that won’t be as helpful as TurboTax and H&R Block.
How much does H&R Block 2024 Cost?
H&R Block 2024 offers four online products: Free Online, Deluxe, Premium, and Self-Employed, priced from $0 to $125. Prices may increase as the April 15 tax filing deadline approaches.
If you need personal assistance, H&R Block 2024 offers you the option to contact a tax expert to review your return or delegate your taxes to an expert for an additional fee, which starts at $55 and $99, respectively.
Free Online Plan: Ideal for students and most employees with W-2 forms
This free online plan is ideal for W-2 employees with simple tax returns, but it’s also ideal for students, as it offers education tax credits and the student loan interest deduction.
H&R Block’s free online plan allows for a more comprehensive range of credits and tax forms than the TurboTax version. The free plan includes Schedules 1, 2, and 3. You can also file for unemployment compensation and claim expenses like education costs.
Deluxe: Ideal for itemizing deductions and HSA contributors
The H&R Block Tax Software Deluxe 2024 plan includes everything included in the free online plan, but also allows you to itemize deductions and support for health savings accounts, child and dependent care tax credits, and mortgage interest payments.
Are you not sure if you should itemize your taxes this year? Please refer to Schedule A and see if any expenses apply to you. For example, you may receive a higher property tax bill in 2024 or have to pay medical expenses out of pocket.
With the Deluxe plan, you can also file taxes as a self-employed worker. However, you will only have access to Schedule C to report income or separately. You must upgrade to the self-employment level to list business expenses.
The current cost of the H&R Block Deluxe 2024 tax software plan is $60 for federal returns and $49 for each state return you file. Like any H&R Block paid plan, you can add live tax advisor reviews to the Deluxe plan or receive your forms by mail for an additional fee.
Premium: Ideal for investors and landlords
If you earned rental income from properties or made capital gains from selling investments or cryptocurrencies, the Premium plan is for you. With the H&R Block Tax Software Premium 2024 plan, you can also report money withdrawn from a trust or income from your S corporation.
Self-Employed: Ideal for Freelancers, Contractors, and Entrepreneurs
The Self-Employed plan is H&R Block’s 2024 most expensive, currently costing $125 for federal returns and $49 for state returns. At this price, you get all the features of the service’s lower-priced plans, plus a few extra features.
How Does H&R Block 2024 Work?
Most tax forms on your return can be filled out automatically with H&R Block’s software, either by uploading a PDF of a common form like a W-2 or by connecting directly to your bank.
H&R Block 2024 tax Software will recommend a filing level for you, I chose options that I knew would move me to the paid Deluxe level (like contributing to a health savings account (HSA) and listing expenses) because I wanted to see how easy it was to upgrade from the free version.
Is H&R Block 2024 Tax Software Help Pro worth being Priced at?
It depends on how comfortable you are with preparing your taxes yourself and how complex your tax situation is. Most taxpayers with simple tax situations don’t need in-person assistance.
If you need help from a tax professional, we recommend comparing H&R Block’s tax review costs or outsourcing your work to another professional to find the best option.
Is H&R Block 2024 right for me?
Its user experience isn’t as intuitive as TurboTax, but it offers physical branches, as well as a better free version if you need to contact a live advisor.
Users like that H&R Block 2024 offers both AI-powered tax help and live expert tax help in its paid versions.
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