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Domain: hrblock.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to hrblock.com.

Comments · 26

  1. Re:treat all systems as if they are production by ljw1004 · · Score: 1 · on Facebook Accidentally Shipped 'Tens of Thousands' of VR Controllers With Hidden Messages Like 'Big Brother is Watching' and 'The Masons Were Here' (businessinsider.com)

    Ah yes, like the time a previous developer decided to have the database connection error display "Fuck! Can't connect to database!". Of course the database didn't fail until well after he left. Fun times when the client called about that one...

    Here's one I noticed from H&R Block: https://idp.hrblock.com/

    It returns just "<html><body><h1>It works!</h1></body></html>" (plus a load of javascript that I assume is tracking).

  2. Re: Why lie about this? by j-beda · · Score: 3, Informative · on NYC Votes To Set Minimum Pay For Uber, Lyft Drivers (arstechnica.com)

    So unless they setup as an LLC, register a business name, and register for a DOT number that's on the vehicle, how can they write that off as a business expense. If they don't, they are NOT as business and are not employees of Uber / Lyft (well at least not historically in most places).

    Standard "self-employed" IRS forms (Schedule C as I recall) allow one to account for business use of a car.

    Here is what H&R block says about it: https://www.hrblock.com/tax-ce...

    To deduct vehicle expenses, you can use standard mileage or actual expenses. For either method, keep a log of the miles you drive for your business. Both methods allow self-employed tax deductions for tolls and parking fees.

    If you use the standard mileage rate, you can only deduct the mileage at a standard rate. For 2017, the rate is $0.535.

    Over the past few decades, with three different vehicles, of various ages (new through 14 years of age), I have had a couple of years where the actual expenses have come close to the standard mileage rate, but usually the standard rate is higher (and easier to track). Usually for me business use of the vehicle has been under 10% of the total use, which is much less than a ride sharing vehicle would be.

  3. Welcome to consulting by Beeftopia · · Score: 1 · on Ethical Hackers Donate 1,000,000 Air Miles To Charity (offensi.com)

    Every dollar you receive is taxed. And you have to pay estimated taxes every quarter. And then you gotta pay the self-employment tax.

    It makes me much more keenly aware of the difference between pre-tax dollars and post-tax dollars. When I have to pay say, 100 dollars for something, I know how much I have to make in order to net 100 dollars, after tax.

    There is at least one exception (of which I'm aware, I'm sure there are more): house flipping. The first 250K (500K if married) of profit is tax free (exclusions apply). And then it's taxed as a capital gain (at a 15% rate). Tax rules are a big source of politicians' power, and are thus heavily influenced by donations and lobbying.

  4. Re:Not even much money by Obfuscant · · Score: 3, Informative · on Intuit, Maker of Turbotax, Lobbies Against Simplified Tax Filings

    Let's face it, there are a lot of people employed as accountants and I guess nowadays, a fair amount of software developers and business.

    The people who this simplified "let the government figure it out and send back what they think I deserve" plan wouldn't apply to the vast majority of people who use accountants or probably even most of those who use TurboTax. They're using an accountant because they want every penny back that they deserve. Yes, I said deserve -- the legal amount.

    There are already several free tax filing systems. TaxACT Online, H&R Block, The IRS, and even TurboTAX, the very company that is being slammed for allegedly standing in the way of free tax filing. If you are a die-hard, you can download the forms and send them in for the price of a stamp or two (my state forms, seven pages of paper, cost $0.70 to mail.)

  5. Re:Misleading by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on H&R Block Software Glitch To Delay 600,000 U.S. Tax Refunds

    No, this is a new problem. H & R Block gives some info at http://blogs.hrblock.com/2013/03/04/what-you-need-to-know-about-form-8863/

  6. Re:School is worthless... by schmiddy · · Score: 2 · on Ask Slashdot: Is Going To a Technical College Worth It?

    I've donated my time/skills to charity (I've got ~20 years in IT). I received "payment" in value (tax write off). I get far less than what I'm worth (in the form of the write-off), but that's not why I'm doing it.

    Uh, you do know that you're not allowed to claim volunteer time worked at a charity as a tax write-off, right? Source: http://www.hrblock.com/free-tax-tips-calculators/deductions-credits/charitable-giving.html#2

    You can't deduct the value of your time or services spent on charitable work, but you can deduct mileage or vehicle expenses if you use your car for charitable purposes.

  7. H&R Block (Re:poor) by Tablizer · · Score: 1 · on Microsoft Unveils First New Company Logo In 25 Years

    H&R Block is even simpler: 1 green square ( http://www.hrblock.com/ ).

    H&R could claim MS copied them 4 times and sue for 4x infringement.
       

  8. Re:And... by Mister+Whirly · · Score: 1 · on Full Upgrades To Windows 8 Only From Windows 7?

    I use Windows 7 and also use IE and MS Office just fine. H&R Block's website states their tax software works with XP, Vista, and Windows 7.(And IE version 6.0 or higher.) So what were you ranting about again? you are funny.

  9. Re:Two words by clary · · Score: 1 · on Barack Obama Wins US Presidency

    Payroll tax is to fund social security benefits. Most people who live long enough to collect social security withdraws more than they paid. So I fail to see how anyone can make the argument that FICA transfers money from the poor to the rich. (It does transfer money from one generation to another, which I also think is a bad idea.)

    Anyways, the point is he is decreasing the taxes on the rich at the expense of the poor (lowering taxes for one group means all other groups are now paying for a higher portion of public goods).

    No, the original poster quite clearly said that McCain wanted to "tax the poor to pay the wealthy." If that doesn't mean transferring money from the poor to the wealthy, then I guess I need remedial English lessons. According to my quick check at http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/tax_calculators/index.html, those under the poverty level are paying a 0% portion of the public goods that come from federal income tax. So again I ask, just how is that taking money from the poor and giving it to the rich?

    The poor do have to pay things like sales tax, gasoline tax, etc. I would be open to proposals to exempt those under the poverty line from such taxes.

  10. Re:Two words by clary · · Score: 4, Informative · on Barack Obama Wins US Presidency

    Got a source on this? I just went to http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/tax_calculators/index.html and plugged in the poverty level for both a single taxpayer and married filing jointly with 2 kids, and in both cases the result was a refund via earned income tax credit.

  11. Re:I don't understand... by Random832 · · Score: 1 · on American Red Cross Sued For Using a Red Cross

    I mean, I may as well patent all green rectangles and sue everyone with a lawn. Shh! Don't give them any ideas!
  12. Re:Language matters by melikamp · · Score: 1 · on Should Schools Block Sites Like Wikipedia?

    Forget the "taxpayer". We are consumers of even the taxpaying.

  13. Ya they do by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 1 · on Open Source Federal Income Tax Software

    The majors all offer some kind of audit defense. Sometimes it's extra, some times it's built in. Basically if you get audited they help and in most cases if the money you owe was a result of an error they or their software made, they pay it. http://www.hrblock.com/popups/pop_wfa_features.htm l if the spiel on H&R Block's audit protection for their software.

    Also there's the simple matter of trust. H&R Block makes their living doing shit like this. If they don't do a good job, they'll go out of business. The guy that wrote this, he's a physics professor.

  14. Re:Nice Disclaimer by CrankyFool · · Score: 1 · on Open Source Federal Income Tax Software

    H&R Block "Worry-Free Audit Support." http://www.hrblock.com/popups/pop_wfa_features.htm l

  15. Re:H&R Block is screwing franchises by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on H&R Block Goofs on Its Own Taxes

    (1) Create a browser based application that has been thouroughly tested by user interface professionals, not just their tax lawyers and software engineers.

    Another reply refutes the browser idea by pointing out that network connectivity is not good enough.

    You also need to look at who your users are, and the fact that tax preparation is a seasonal business. In 2005, H&R Block had 11,161 offices with 120,400 seasonal associates - let's call that 100,000 tax preparer users once you subract manager and receptionists. Link: http://www.hrblock.com/presscenter/about/fastFacts .jsp

    You have 100,000 users who will use TPS (Tax Preparation System) intensively as experts for 4 months, then never touch it again for 8 months. You have all levels of users from power computer users to people who only touch a computer when preparing taxes.

    The TPS program was originally written for DOS with DOS function key and data entry conventions (Press Enter to go to the next field). You can still prepare an entire tax return without using the mouse. You can almost do it without removing your hand from the numeric keypad, since 1 = Y and 2 = N. Many questions can be answered Yes or No.

    The user interface folks tell us that expert users should be able to do everything from the keyboard and not have to switch between mouse and keyboard. After all, that's why the Unix command line is superior to the Windows GUI, right ?

    You also don't want to change the interface very much from year to year because your users will have to adjust. While your users are adjusting and trying to figure out how to fill out this year's form, you and they aren't making money. For example, last year TPS required me to enter Y or N for the question "Did the taxpayer pay student loan interest ?" This year, no entry or blank defaults to N. It has taken me 6 weeks to discover that and to stop typing N in that field.

    You get enough tax law changes from year to year requiring the program and user interface to change that you don't need to change the user interface just for fun. I agree that TPS does not look like a modern GUI with bells and whistles, or like a modern browser interface. It shouldn't, given its history and users. Even if you came up with a better interface, how do you train 100,000 people ?

    P.S. I am a tax preparer at H&R Block currently. I was a dinosaur developer, and will be again once I find another job.

    (2)Properly compensate francises for their new Walmart ventures.

    You're probably right that H&R Block is screwing franchisees. They're trying their best to screw their tax preparers.

  16. Tax Instant Refund Scam; Loan, not Refund by layer3switch · · Score: 5, Informative · on H&R Block Goofs on Its Own Taxes

    According to H&R Block's website;
    http://www.hrblock.com/
    "Fast Money
    Walk into an office with your taxes, and walk out with an Instant Money Refund Anticipation loan check. Up to $9,999 based on your refund amount. Money in your hands fast."

    People, don't ever EVER get your tax refund this way. You may be in a financial jam or just impatient to get your money, but this is sure way to loose your money in a blink of an eye, and possibly the most stupidist thing you can ever do. The % you loose due to interest rate for loan in this case is highly unregulated and its easy to get scammed.

    Here is a quick article on pending lawsuit against H&R Block in California, posted on MSNBC.
    http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11373754/

    Just wait 3 weeks and get your full refund (if you don't owe that is), or ready to get charged 500% on that refund.

  17. Re:No Kidding Logo Work is Hardwork by nacturation · · Score: 1 · on The Art of the Game Logo

    Why not use a circle? A similar design decision worked well for H&R Block.

  18. National? Back to the way it was? by AKosygin · · Score: 1 · on CA State Offers To Prepare Simple Tax Returns
    Back in the days (according to one of my friend's grand parent), the IRS *DID* do people's taxes, but suddenly they stopped. Then that was where companies like H&R block offered to do taxes because the IRS didn't want to do it.

    Even the H&R Block history says so:
    Until the mid-'50s, the Internal Revenue Service had actually filled out tax returns at no charge for anyone who went to their local IRS office. Errors were common, however, and when people complained, the IRS began eliminating the service. The Blochs' first ad appeared at the same time that Kansas Citians were discovering the IRS would no longer do their tax returns.

    So if it went national, it would mean a return to the old days. The IRS and taxpayers created them, and now there is no turning back. I guess we are regretting it huh?
  19. Re:Out of context by jcomeau_ictx · · Score: 1 · on Tracking Your Taxes

    Yes, it's FUD, but worse than that, by criticizing companies twice or thrice removed from the IRS and the Fed, it's indirectly legitimizing the latter two agencies. None of this crap existed before a bunch of old men went duck hunting on Jekyll Island. Then it kept branching out: H & R Block. Intuit. Every step designed to take another bite out of your paycheck. But this old-boy network has been around for a while; have you taken a Tour or a Taxi lately?

  20. Re:Aditionally... WTF???!?!?!?! by F.Prefect · · Score: 4, Informative · on Open Source Tax Products?

    Why spend any money at all? Go to the IRS's Free File page, and pick from a number of online entities who provide free tax preparation and e-file. For a lot of them (including H&R Block) there are no restrictions, and everyone qualifies. Sure, it isn't an Open Source (which will likely never happen anyway), but it also isn't $70 bucks either.

  21. H&R Block Free File by wersh · · Score: 3, Informative · on Tax Time Again: Any Linux Solutions?

    H&R Block IRS Free File - Online Tax Programs - "FREE online federal tax prep and e-file for filers with AGI of $34,000 or less." They also have a few relatively inexpensive options if you don't quite qualify for that. I've used the free option for the past few years and it works great. (Even handles some of the non-standard stuff.)

  22. Re:Tax-cut has online product also by Rastor · · Score: 1 · on Tax Preparation Software for 2003?

    I'll second this nomination. I've used the web interface at hrblock.com the last two years to file my taxes and it worked fine. Both times I was using Mozilla, and the most recent was Mozilla under Linux. That time I had to switch to Windows to download a PDF of my return, but the return itself worked under Linux. I sent them some feedback, so hopefully the entire process will work under Linux now.

  23. Tax-cut has online product also by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Tax Preparation Software for 2003?

    http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/partner/product.jsp?o tpPartnerId=187&productId=31

  24. Re:Flash -vs- Sparkle? by nacturation · · Score: 1 · on Longhorn's Flash Killer?

    Microsoft should fire the person responsible for the "Sparkle" name ($10 says it's the same who came out with "Clippy") and hire somebody who would give it a more impressive name, such as "Lighting".

    And likely they, too, will have to pay millions of dollars to the creative genius behind H&R Block's new logo.

  25. Re:Oh yeah, I have to get an early start this year by buttahead · · Score: 1 · on Slashback: Intuit, Telemetry, Meetup

    H&R Block online has a turbotax like setup. They ask you questions and you fill in the numbers. They do all the real work and will e-file your federal and state taxes so you get the money back in a few weeks.

    I've used it the last two years, and it woorks great. Also, this second year of using it, they show a comparison between the refund for both years. Thats a bit helpful if you are trying to maximize your refund.

  26. Re:don't go with H&R Block by CodeShark · · Score: 1 · on TurboTax Activation Fiasco
    Just typists you say? Bulls---, especially for small business owners and others who don't want to tangle with all of the forms, etc. but want to keep as much of their hard earned $ in their own pockets and out of Uncle Sam's.

    [slight disclosure here: I have worked with one of their folks for a couple years now and have invested a bit in their stock]. That said, I know because I asked that the preparers have to go through a several week course, and pass a final test with at least 80-85% competency or they wash out of the program.

    Some are also trained as Financial Advisors or Loan Advisors for Block subsidiaries, so they can sometimes point out methods of saving additional tax $ based on good investments, mortgage refinancing, etc..

    Main thing for me as a small consulting company owner is that you know you're not dealing with an Enron-esque company -- their ethics and credibility are top notch.