H&R Block

International accounting franchise provides tax preparation and personal finance management across 21 countries.

by Contributor

In Short
Known for its green block logo, this Kansas City, Mo.-based company started helping customers complete their annual income tax forms in 1955 the same year the IRS stopped doing it for free. Founding brothers Henry and Richard Bloch quickly franchised their idea and, in 2000, the financial centers' repertoire began to include year-round services, such as mortgage and brokerage services, annuities, mutual funds and IRAs and eforms

03/08/08

Fuzzy Numbers

by Someguy35

I had a budget of about $125 to have my taxes checked (I had already done them on TurboTax but wanted verification). I called to see how much it would cost. I told her everything I needed to input. She told me $125 to $ 150 max. I figured yes, that's worth it. Once we got done inputting everything she said that will be $330. She saw the disappointment in my eyes so she gave me $50 off. However, It was still twice the amount of my budget. What threw me off is that she was a very nice lady. However, it's no fun to have someone lift money from your wallet while they smile at you. Stick with TurboTax. The results are the same, but less expensive. Tax advice is not worth $280.

• Pros: Nice people
• Cons: Deceptive practices, low value, basic tax knowledge (TurboTax is smarter)