The very first time DJ and I tried to file our taxes in California we went into a place to have a ‘professional’ do them for us. We sat with them for a little over an hour while they put all of our information into the computer to get our return ready.

At the end of our visit, the agent printed everything out and we realized that there was a lot of missing information and typos. On top of all of that, they still wanted us to pay them $200 for that crappy job!

Today’s post is sponsored by H&R Block Online because they saved our tax experience that year and I’ve been a fan ever since!

Enter: H&R Block Online

When we left the tax preparer’s office, the first thought we both had is that we could probably do our own taxes way better than that person could. We started searching for options and we came across H&R Block Online.

Now, I was a little bit nervous at first. The last thing I wanted was for the IRS to come knocking on the door saying we messed something up. Y’all know that I have to research everything. So I read about 1,000 reviews and figured out H&R Block was probably going to be the best choice.

The Options Grow With You

Everyone knows that I hate anything that is one-size-fits-all so I appreciate the fact that H&R Block has multiple options to fit your specific tax situation. We were actually able to use the free version of their software that first year because our taxes were extremely simple.

However, as our tax situation changed over time, so did our needs. It’s weird but I felt comfortable coming back, time after time, to do my own taxes because of how easy the whole process is.

Here’s a list of the different options you can choose from:

• H&R Block Free Online
  • This option is designed for people with less complex filing situations, including people who have w-2 income, kids and rent, as well as students and first-time filers.
• H&R Block Deluxe Online
  • This option is designed for homeowners, people who’ve made charitable donations and those with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
• H&R Block Premium Online
  • Designed for freelancers, contractors, investors and rental property owners; includes all Deluxe features as well as the ability to import expenses from expense-tracking apps.
• H&R Block Self Employed Online
  • Perfect for self-employed individuals and small business owners with a home office and/or employees; includes all Premium features as well as an improved guided Schedule C interview to ensure a better experience for complex clients.

We used the Self Employed version of their software last year because I did a lot of freelance work for Doordash, various acting jobs and we made a little bit of money from Pennies to Wealth.

During the process, H&R Block’s software literally walks you step by step through the process of doing your taxes on your own. They tell you which blocks to copy numbers from and which forms you should have to find your necessary information.

There’s no way that we could have figured any of this out without them holding our hands through the experience.

No Surprises

H&R Block’s “No Surprise Guarantee*” really satisfies my need for transparency. While you’re filling out your taxes, you get constant updates as you go.

If you add information to an area that will cause an increase in your package price, you get an alert. You also have a tab on the side the constantly updates your tax refund as you enter your information.

I always plan on a very small refund or paying just a little in taxes (the government won’t get a free loan from me) so I love watching this number update to see whether or not I calculated correctly.

Help When You Need It

This year, I’m most excited about using H&R Block’s Online Assist while I do my taxes. This tool allows you to live-chat with highly trained H&R Block tax experts, IRS agents or CPAs.

I want to consult the experts this time around so that they can make sure I get EVERY tax break I can from all of the changes that happened in 2019!

Do It Yourself This Year

I believe doing your taxes with H&R Block is extremely easy. As a gift for the PTW Family, H&R Block has given me a special link to share with you. This link will let you take 25% off all of their software options! Go save your coins fam!

Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever done your own taxes or if you plan to for the first time this year!

$tay Wealthy Fam,
— Dannie

* Receive 20% off next year’s tax preparation if we fail to provide any of the 4 benefits included in our “No Surprise Guarantee” (Upfront Transparent Pricing, Transparent Process, Free Audit Assistance, and Free Midyear Tax Check-In).  Limitations apply.  Description of benefits and details at hrblock.com/guarantees.