It's tax season, and as you're probably aware, all the DIY tax programs attempt to distinguish themselves by offering a "maximum refund guarantee." If you read the fine print, there are some things you should be weary of:
I do. Yes, I completed my taxes on both H&R Block and TurboTax's website. I started with H&R Block, but when the refund calculator kept doing funny things, I decided to input all the data again into TurboTax. I was vindicated to find a $1,200 difference between the two programs!
I've been filing my taxes with H&R Block online for almost 10 years, so I called to inform them of the $1,000 discrepancy. The first time I called, it took me over 15 minutes to speak to a human, who asked me all the security questions. I was relieved when she also asked me my phone number so that she could call me back in case we got disconnected. I gave it to her, and within a few seconds of me explaining my issue, we got disconnected. I waited patiently by the phone for her to call back, but to no avail.
I then called again, and able to maneuver through the phone menus more efficiently, I got a human in just 5 minutes. Before she even began to ask me the security questions, we got disconnected a second time!
The third time I called, I was livid, but was successfully able to reach and speak to a human customer service rep. When I told her that TurboTax was offering a $1,200 higher refund, she asked me what she could do about it. Not really sure of how or why I was supposed to answer that question, I suggested that (1) I be refunded the $60 tax preparation fee, and (2) I speak to a tax advisor who could find the source of the discrepancy.
She then put me on hold for 35 minutes, after which she reluctantly refunded the $60 tax preparation fee. But she did say that I would have to pay the $79 fee to speak to a tax advisor.
A fitting end to the event, I received THREE email customer satisfaction surveys – including two for each of the times I was disconnected.
- The "guarantee" only applies to the cost of the tax preparation software, not any difference in the tax refund or liability.
- In most cases, you can only have your money refunded if you've already filed the taxes.
- To actually ensure that you're getting your maximum refund, you have to effectively do your taxes twice, using at least 2 different preparation software programs. Who does this?
I do. Yes, I completed my taxes on both H&R Block and TurboTax's website. I started with H&R Block, but when the refund calculator kept doing funny things, I decided to input all the data again into TurboTax. I was vindicated to find a $1,200 difference between the two programs!
I've been filing my taxes with H&R Block online for almost 10 years, so I called to inform them of the $1,000 discrepancy. The first time I called, it took me over 15 minutes to speak to a human, who asked me all the security questions. I was relieved when she also asked me my phone number so that she could call me back in case we got disconnected. I gave it to her, and within a few seconds of me explaining my issue, we got disconnected. I waited patiently by the phone for her to call back, but to no avail.
I then called again, and able to maneuver through the phone menus more efficiently, I got a human in just 5 minutes. Before she even began to ask me the security questions, we got disconnected a second time!
The third time I called, I was livid, but was successfully able to reach and speak to a human customer service rep. When I told her that TurboTax was offering a $1,200 higher refund, she asked me what she could do about it. Not really sure of how or why I was supposed to answer that question, I suggested that (1) I be refunded the $60 tax preparation fee, and (2) I speak to a tax advisor who could find the source of the discrepancy.
She then put me on hold for 35 minutes, after which she reluctantly refunded the $60 tax preparation fee. But she did say that I would have to pay the $79 fee to speak to a tax advisor.
A fitting end to the event, I received THREE email customer satisfaction surveys – including two for each of the times I was disconnected.
Bottom line is, if you want to ensure a maximum refund, you better do your taxes twice. You can’t make this stuff up!
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I always use TurboTax. For some reason i always got weird vibes from the H&R Block program. This year I am using Ernst and Young since I was out of country for many months... I wonder what the outcome will be...
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