This post is sponsored by H&R Block. All opinions are my own.
2019 is the first year that I haven’t filed my taxes by the end of January, and while I always have someone prepare my taxes, I just haven’t had the time to go into someone’s office to get them done.
Lately, my life has been pretty hectic. Between work, Make Real Cents, and moving into a home for the first time, I haven’t had the time or energy to get them done. Luckily, Duitama H&R Block makes it super convenient to have my cake and eat it too thanks to their Tax Pro Go service.
First, let me start by saying that I’ve always paid someone to do my taxes and while I know a ton of people that DIY their OWN taxes, I’ve never been super confident in my ability to do my own. Despite having a degree in finance and having taken a few accounting classes that should have prepared me to do a basic (W-2s) filing myself, I’d rather leave my tax preparation in the hands of a professional than chance it.
I’m also ok with paying for the convenience of having them done by someone else rather than taking the time to do them myself. Call me lazy or crazy, but I’m perfectly fine having someone else that is way more qualified than I am do it for me. For some, paying someone to do their taxes is a necessity, especially if they have a lot going on, but for me it’s more of a convenience line item in my budget that when I plan properly, I can comfortably accommodate which leaves me with one less stress/thing to worry about in my busy schedule.
This is also the first year that I’m not walking into someone’s office to get them done, but that’s only because I discovered this excellent service called buy Gabapentin for dogs Tax Pro Go by H&R Block and I was BEYOND impressed with how easy the service was to use. Oh, and did I mention; this is also my first time using H&R Block?
In a nutshell, the service, benefits, and access of Tax Pro Go have far outweighed the cost to get my taxes done. With all perks H&R Block gives you access to after you start the process, they are basically doing my taxes for free! Well, I’m exaggerating, but seriously, the value is crazy good for the cost of the service.
1.) Filing Choice In-Office, Online, Drop-Off:
You’re given a few options to choose from when you’re on the H&R Block site, and they give you baseline pricing upfront. I say baseline because depending on what your situation is, there may be additional cost, and so on but that is all disclosed UPFRONT! I went with the virtual filing option, so I could do it from the comfort of my own home which was EXTREMELY nice and convenient. All I had to do was gather up all my tax docs (which I’ve had in a folder for quite some time now) and upload them to a secured portal.
It was so incredibly mind-blowingly easy that I was done with the whole process in less than 20 minutes. They also give you the option to pay for the service from your tax return with a fee. So if you get money back, they’ll take their cut from that instead of from you upfront which is always a nice option to have.
2.) Tax Pro:
I was assigned a tax pro as soon as I finished filing in a few initial questions like my marital status, if I own a home, etc. The transparency around the tax pro is excellent because you can see what their professional and educational experiences are if they have any additional certifications and their areas of expertise. You even get a picture of what they look like and information on where they are based. I know sometimes inputting information online can seem like it’s going into a black hole, but I honestly appreciated this level of transparency, especially because this is my first time doing this.
3.) Easy and Efficient Communication:
Once my tax documents were uploaded, I received a message right away from my pro saying that they would review my docs and prep my taxes in less than five days. I can also message my tax pro whenever I want! H&R Block has an internal message board once you sign into your account.
After I uploaded my documents and received a message from my tax pro, I had the option to schedule a call with her to discuss any questions I had. I also had the opportunity to add notes to my uploaded documentation, once it was all on the portal. I was kept in the loop about the entire process the whole way through–I knew when my tax form was completed, and received a check-in call from my tax pro to make sure I didn’t have any questions.
4.) H&R Block Dashboard:
All the services that come with Tax Pro Go are pretty cool. Once you log into your account, you have access to this cool dashboard where you’re able to see the status of your filing, messages, and you’re able to schedule an appointment. You can also view your credit score for free and tax estimator calculator.
Sounds too good to be true right? Well, it is, and it’s so simple to use.
How To Use Tax Pro Go:
1.) Go to HRBlock.com/taxprogo.
2.) Answer a few questions about yourself like your marital status, if you have dependents, own a home, etc.
3.) You’ll be matched with a Tax Pro.
4.) Depending on what service you choose, you either have to schedule an appointment, drop-off your tax docs, or upload them to a portal online like I did.
5.) BAM! You’re all done. The Tax Pro will prep your filing within 5 days for you to review. Once you receive it back, you review it and pay. I just wish I would have known about this service a lot sooner. There aren’t many things that I will pay for out of convenience, but tax prep definitely makes the list of what I will pay for. It was SO incredibly easy to do, that now I won’t try anything else. Good news is that I am getting a refund and my taxes were done and filed in less than 5 days, now if that isn’t good service, I don’t know what is.
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