Massachusetts, FTC Warning People About H&R Block Tax Scam

Some Massachusetts residents may currently be knee-deep in filing their taxes while others haven't started the process yet. Most of us would agree that tax prep and filing our taxes are tasks we would love to avoid like the plague. However, it is tax season and it's something that has to get done. The last thing anyone needs during tax season is paying for expensive tax prep services that aren't needed. It seems that is precisely what H&R Block is doing.

Get our free mobile app

The Federal Trade Commission recently released a consumer report warning people that H&R's free online tax product isn't all that it seems. The report states the following:

H&R Block’s online tax product is free only if you meet H&R Block’s definition of a “simple return,” a tax situation that the FTC says many people think they have, but don’t. It’s also a tax situation that isn’t defined — H&R Block can (and does) change what tax situations qualify for free at any time.

Furthermore, once people are tricked into using the "free" tax product, H&R Block makes it very difficult for users to downgrade to a cheaper product. Naturally, H&R Block makes it easy to upgrade to more expensive products.

The Short of It

Many people get stuck paying for the tax product that they never needed to begin with as H&R continues to throw hurdle after hurdle at users when it comes to getting out of the product they thought was "free."

Massachusetts Has Plenty of Physical H&R Block Locations Which May Be a Safer Bet

If you are going to choose H&R Block to do your taxes perhaps in this case it's a good idea to go to an H&R Block office instead of using the company's online service. There are plenty of them in Massachusetts including areas like the Berkshires and of course the big cities like Boston, Worcester, and Springfield. You can find a location near you by going here.