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"I Got People"

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
...unfortunately, the "people" I got at my local H&R Block are retarded. The lady who did my taxes, I kid you not, had ONE TOOTH on the top row. Dead center, right in the front. WTF?

I thought they had accountants there. Her "certificate" said:

"Certificate of Accomplishment: (name) Has completed the H&R Block Tax Course" the lady had to punch simple arithmetic like 60 x 4 into the calculator several times. I simply have no confidence that my taxes were done properly.

Now for the obvious questions from the "Why didnt you do the taxes yourself, it's easy" crowd...It's my first year married, I bought a house, I'm a student, I did a bunch of contract work that I didn't pay taxes on yet, so it wasn't exactly simple, at least IMHO.

But this idiot, jesus, Im probably going to get audited. I decided to spend the extra $30 for the "insurance" they say they'll cover if Im audited and there's any mistakes, fines, etc. I got to get out of this damned redneck town. I'm sure the ins. is a scam.
 

hooples3

Fuggetaboutit!
Mar 14, 2005
5,245
0
Brooklyn
H & R Block is not for people.. they are for the government
you need a "tax guy" from brooklyn to hook you up..
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
I use H&R Blocks TaxCut or whatever it's called. I used to go to the office in Hillsboro and the guy there was an actual accountant. When we moved, I took my taxes to the new local office and I think I had the same lady that did yours.

She was huge and was getting winded using the computer. I switched to software the following year.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
I use H&R Blocks TaxCut or whatever it's called. I used to go to the office in Hillsboro and the guy there was an actual accountant. When we moved, I took my taxes to the new local office and I think I had the same lady that did yours.

She was huge and was getting winded using the computer. I switched to software the following year.
Yeah, this lady went at least a deuce-50, probably 300 at 5'3", had trouble getting around the office. Kept asking annoying as hell personal questions that related in no way to the task at hand. Slower than time, smelled bad...it was an awful experience all the way around.
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
If she was indeed that offensive you should have left.

Yeah, this lady went at least a deuce-50, probably 300 at 5'3", had trouble getting around the office. Kept asking annoying as hell personal questions that related in no way to the task at hand. Slower than time, smelled bad...it was an awful experience all the way around.
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,494
9,525
I've used them before. They created a W2 for me out of thin air when I couldn't provide one and didn't feel like contacting my previous employer.
 

Mike B.

Turbo Monkey
Oct 5, 2001
1,522
0
State College, PA
A friend of mine does the H&R Block thing every year and she's reasonably intelligent and attractive but she talked me in to taking their class to be a "preparer." I made it through 1 whole class when I realized how ridiculous the whole thing was. Most of them are in no way qualified to do taxes as you have seen first hand and they're using the same software you can use at home.

I now take my taxes to an extremely qualified CPA. Fill out a questionnaire that is mailed to me in advance then drop it off with all my receipts, stubs, etc and a few days later I pay him $150. I get a nicely bound copy of all the paperwork in the mail shortly after. Last I checked the local tax places wanted about $130 for state & federal. My taxes are relatively simple except a few investments but it's great piece of mind and I can call and get tax or other CPA type advice anytime throughout the year for no charge.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
I now take my taxes to an extremely qualified CPA. Fill out a questionnaire that is mailed to me in advance then drop it off with all my receipts, stubs, etc and a few days later I pay him $150. I get a nicely bound copy of all the paperwork in the mail shortly after. Last I checked the local tax places wanted about $130 for state & federal. My taxes are relatively simple except a few investments but it's great piece of mind and I can call and get tax or other CPA type advice anytime throughout the year for no charge.

This is the way to go, and it's a small price to pay.
 

manimal

Ociffer Tackleberry
Feb 27, 2002
7,212
17
Blindly running into cactus
my dad did mine for years, he's a financial planner. then i tried one of the pop-up tax places during the season and paid them about $100. last year i did it myself, finished it in less than 2 hours and had a much better understanding of how this tax garbage works. i'm still waiting on a w2 for my wife's side job to start them this year.

the pisser right now is that the IRS made a boo-boo. i worked off-duty for a company in 2006 and made $650. i put the information from the 10-99 on my return like i was supposed to do. well apparently the company was audited or something because i got a bill last month for $13,500 as the IRS somehow put down that i made $60,500 from that company instead of the originally reported $650! it's a simple fix and i've already mailed in the original 10-99 from the company showing that they reported i only made $650 and that it's obviously a typo but i'm sure it'll be several months before thet get back to me. all this crap means that my return will be held up until they clear up what they say i owe :disgust:
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
I've always done my own even when things were incredibly complicated. I even got audited once, not really audited but they thought I made a mistake. One phone call later and it was all taken care of. I've had to do quite a bit of reading of the tax code but I would rather spend the time and understand what is being done than pay someone to do it for me.
 

-dustin

boring
Jun 10, 2002
7,155
1
austin
a co-worker took his there and they managed to get him a $2100 return. I was quite surprised. He and I are quite similar, except I pay more in student loan interest. Yet, he managed to almost double what I got back. My girlfriend's a CPA. I question what goes on at those tax places now.
 

KavuRider

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2006
2,565
4
CT
I had my friend do mine.
He's done them for awhile and uses TurboTax Premium. Great program.
I don't trust HR Block. I've had friends/family screwed over by them before.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
An image just popped into my head of Burly getting audited. Things get heated and the toothless Tax preparer takes off her shoe and starts beating the tax man.
 

reflux

Turbo Monkey
Mar 18, 2002
4,617
2
G14 Classified
a co-worker took his there and they managed to get him a $2100 return. I was quite surprised. He and I are quite similar, except I pay more in student loan interest. Yet, he managed to almost double what I got back. My girlfriend's a CPA. I question what goes on at those tax places now.
We have a running joke at our office (CPAs). H&R Block has a television commercial where they claim an average refund of $1,500 on amended returns. The joke? If they can pull that kind of magic, perhaps they can find $1,500 on my return too.

There are no CA state certification or licensing requirements to prepare a return, so you have no idea just what your "people" know. The lady who used to cut my hair had to go through actual red tape and paperwork to get her license, not so much for the average Joe at H&R.
 

manimal

Ociffer Tackleberry
Feb 27, 2002
7,212
17
Blindly running into cactus
do you cpa's think that the IRS is less likely to audit a return from a chain tax service? it seems that with the garaunteed audit assistance that they may be less likely to raise red flags at the IRS.
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Seriously, Either do your taxes yourself, Or pay someone who actually know what there doing. I thought I had a good Tax person and refered her, and for the most part I was very Happy with her services. Last year, On a very hi reccomendation, I went to a new tax guy, after stopping in at H&R block, and liberty tax for a free estimate, they both told me I was going to Owe near 400, after I was done at the new guy Mike, I was getting 400 from state, and another 430 from Federal. On top of that H&R and Liberty Both wanted 250ish to prep, and file my taxes, Mike Only charged me 90 dollars. On top of doing so well with My current taxes for 150 He audtied My last 5 years of tax returns, found me nearly four thousand more on returns, another 100 for filing fees, and He is now my permanent Tax Prep authority


H&R Block and other commercialized Tax prep companies dont give a rats ass about there customers, all they care about is getting there 200-400 dollars for prep that, for what there doing, you can do yourself with ease.
 

manimal

Ociffer Tackleberry
Feb 27, 2002
7,212
17
Blindly running into cactus
i just did my own again and i'm not getting nearly as much back this year as i did in the past. it seems i'm over the income mark to receive the earned income credit now...oh well. i suppose i might have to start having fed taxes taken out of my check now so that i don't owe next year...i just hate giving the government a loan for the year; i'd rather set the money aside and earn interest on it all year.