H&R Block

If there were a rating of no stars, I would choose it!
My daughter has a specific situation unique, but not impossible. We asked for a SEASONED tax professional, arrived at the appointed time, and was met by a gentleman whose silver hair would suggest wisdom. We explained her unique situation, gave him the specific IRS forms to use, and where he could research it on the IRS website. He asked my expectant daughter more than once about her marital status, going so far as to ask if her rings on her left hand was a wedding set. She had to emphasize to him that she was filing SINGLE and that her rings was and engagement ring. She started to feel uncomfortable. The man then said her situation was not unique and she did not have to pay tax on the portion of her taxes/​1099 she was concerned about. He finished, printed the forms and when he returned from the printer, told her he made a mistake and that she had to pay the tax on the money in question. We told him that she did not and he needed to file an extra form (of which we had printed off for ease of preparation), and he needed to fill it out. He said he was «under pressure», and I asked for the Manager.
During the time he was away, he was explaining his version of the story to the Manager in front, I called my husband to come down to talk «tech talk» to the preparer, since my his band found the form online. The Manager did not understand anything that was going on, shifted us briefly to another preparer (the man disappeared), and then once again to a THIRD person, who has a clue about deferred payments that were years old.
We got through the 1040, with an additional form check for the questionable 1099, and were charged $ 209.00. When asked, the Manager could not produce an itemized breakdown of the charges, and her body language (crossed arms, smug face) told me that I was not going to get one red cent back from her (since my card had already been rung up). I called her on her unprofessionalism and that of the man’s as well, stating if I had made a mistake (later we found he filed a 1040EZ — NOT the 1040 to accommodate the unique 1099 as we told him), I had the «chutzpah» (read gonads) to stay with the client and apologize that I was not experienced enough (this man was clearly 10 – 15 years older than I). I got some sort of basic charge information, and filed a complaint with the H & R Block headquarters about the two hours plus we spent (me, my husband, and daughter) with three tax preparers, a Manger who told me numerous time, «I don’t know!» and the whole three-​ring circus that went on that day. This is the first and DEFINITELY the LASt time I will use H & R Block.

Now we are discovering that H&R severely screwed up our return, resulting in a deduction in our refund of $ 600.00. We both have full-​time jobs and no time to go through the hassle of this. That’s why we hired tax prep in the first place. Now we are stuck making calls, being put on hold for long periods of time, and trying to get our money back. Do not use this company.