We’re excited to compare two popular tax prep products to help you determine the best fit for your business. I have analyzed TurboTax vs H&R Block by comparing their features, customer service, ease of use, and other offerings. The optimal choice ultimately depends on individual needs, the complexity of the tax situation, preferred support options, and budget considerations.
TurboTax is a widely used tax preparation software known for its user-friendly interface and step-by-step guidance. It is optimal for QuickBooks Self-Employed users and businesses needing cryptocurrency support. Meanwhile, H&R Block has both online and in-person tax preparation services and is ideal for small business owners who want to use desktop software and meet with a tax advisor in person.
Here are the ideal consumers for each product:
- TurboTax: Small businesses with complex tax situations seeking full-service tax preparation and filing
- H&R Block: Business owners looking for online and in-person tax prep options
Over a decade of tax experience has made me a small business superfan. You’ll find me on the sidelines yelling “DEFENSE” (of your deductions), and “SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT” (by April 15, please). You’ll also find me avidly ranking tax products with the zeal of a sports commentator. My goal is to help you tackle tough topics without dropping the ball.
My articles adhere to the Fit Small Business Editorial Policy—and this approach prioritizes accuracy, clarity, authority, objectivity, and accessibility. The result is practical content that is reliable, straightforward, and unbiased. Each written feature is designed to take the pain out of research so that you can focus on running your business.
See my full methodology below
Small Business Tax Expert at Fit Small Business
TurboTax vs H&R Block quick comparison
Use cases and pros & cons
Pros
- The software includes an accuracy guarantee and provides audit support for users who may need help dealing with the IRS.
- With TurboTax Live, users can get real-time help from tax professionals.
- TurboTax provides a simple, step-by-step process that guides users through their tax filing, making it accessible even for beginners.
Cons
- TurboTax is one of the most expensive tax prep options, especially for complex filings.
- The free version only accommodates the most basic returns, which results in most users needing to upgrade.
- Ambiguity about which services are included in what a customer has purchased and which services come with an additional fee.
Use cases
- QuickBooks Self-Employed users: If you’re a QuickBooks Self-Employed user, you will find that its integration with TurboTax allows you to transfer your financial data from QuickBooks to your tax forms seamlessly. It also helps track business expenses, calculates estimated quarterly tax payments, and guides users through the complexities of reporting self-employment income and deductions. In contrast, H&R Block’s tax software doesn’t integrate with QuickBooks.
- Rental property owners: TurboTax can be helpful for landlords and property owners needing to report rental income and expenses. It offers guidance on deductions, depreciation, and other relevant tax considerations related to rental properties. TurboTax’s step-by-step interview process makes it easy to enter information accurately. While H&R Block’s tax software allows you to account for rental properties, TurboTax’s Premier version tools are much more sophisticated.
- Small businesses seeking cryptocurrency support: H&R Block doesn’t offer this feature. Meanwhile, TurboTax partners with Coinbase to assist with importing your cryptocurrency transactions. It will also help with e-filing your cryptocurrency gains and losses. If you sign up for TurboTax Premier, you can import up to 250 transactions at once from Coinbase.
Pros
- Import features: Users value the simplicity of import tasks for brokerage forms and other documents, resulting in significant time savings for tax prep.
- Customer support: Customers appreciate H&R Block’s support team and willingness to provide peace of mind and accurate tax returns.
- Refund support options: Customers love H&R Block’s refund advance loans, which are loans that H&R Block issues to taxpayers in advance of the IRS processing the tax return.
Cons
- User experience issues: Many customers have reported that the online platform is inherently less straightforward than leading competitors.
- Technical glitches: Users have occasionally referenced technical issues, such as software bugs and frustrating input issues.
- Customer support delays: While overall support seems to get positive reviews, some users have experienced delays in reaching the right representative.
Use cases
- Expats who require tax services: H&R Block offers a special service for expats, with both assisted and do-it-yourself (DIY) tax services available for United States citizens and green card holders who are required to file US expat taxes annually. What’s more, its online software identifies tax benefits available for expats. This is in contrast to TurboTax, which doesn’t offer services specific to expats.
- Small business owners who want to meet with a tax advisor in person: H&R Block has physical offices in almost 9,000 locations across the US, making it convenient for individuals who prefer face-to-face interactions when filing their taxes. This can be particularly helpful if you have questions, need guidance, or have complex tax situations that require professional assistance. In-person meetings aren’t offered by TurboTax, which focuses its services online.
- Small business owners who prefer to use affordable desktop software: H&R Block offers DIY online filing options as well, but if you purchase its desktop software, you can prepare as many returns as you like and e-file five of them at no additional cost. Additionally, if you sign up for H&R Block’s live tax pro support, it is available with both personal and business returns. While TurboTax also offers desktop software, H&R Block’s prices are much more affordable.
- S-corp and partnership businesses: Whether you want to file a DIY S-corp or partnership return or want assistance with filing, H&R Block is the best choice because of its lower prices. It offers full-service filing at a fraction of the cost of TurboTax’s full-service option.
- Self-employed individuals seeking free software to file an individual return with Schedule C: Neither TurboTax nor H&R Block offer free software for self-employed individuals. FreeTaxUSA allows self-employed business owners to file a Schedule C for free, plus a state tax return, at an affordable fee. In our guide to the best small business tax software, we selected FreeTaxUSA as the best free tax software for freelancers. Read our FreeTaxUSA review to learn more.
- Businesses looking for unlimited one-on-one tax assistance and to file returns online: If you sign up for TaxAct’s Xpert Help, you’ll be connected with certified public accountants (CPAs) or other tax experts who can answer questions and provide assistance with navigating your tax situation, although advice for business returns (Forms 1120S or 1065) is unavailable. TaxAct also doesn’t put a limit on the number of times you can speak with tax experts during your filing experience. What’s more, it offers online filing of business returns, a feature that neither TurboTax nor H&R Block offers. Read our review of TaxAct for more information.
- Small businesses that need to file year-end information returns: If you’re seeking software that can help you file W-2s, 1099s, and 1095s, BoomTax is a good solution — but it doesn’t allow for income tax filing. However, you can import the data from QuickBooks Online for faster processing. The processing of year-end information returns isn’t offered with TurboTax or H&R Block.
Pricing: H&R Block wins
H&R Block generally provides more affordable pricing than TurboTax for both desktop and assisted tax preparation services. Both programs offer free options for simple 1040 returns, but H&R Block’s Deluxe version starts at $35, while TurboTax’s equivalent is nearly twice as much.
For federal business tax preparation, H&R Block’s service starts at $109.The corresponding cost from TurboTax is $190. Additionally, state filing fees with TurboTax can add significant costs. Overall, H&R Block provides the best pricing options, especially for budget-conscious filers.
Live Assistance: H&R Block Wins
While both providers offer assisted and full-service tax filing options, one of the major differences is that TurboTax doesn’t offer an option to meet in person. However, it does offer one-way videoconferencing, something H&R Block does not, which can help streamline communications.
TurboTax Live Assisted Business only offers business tax services in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Helpful tools: TurboTax wins
With features like a deduction maximizer and cryptocurrency support, TurboTax wins the competition for most helpful tools. However, H&R Block deserves an honorable mention for its expat tax services, which offer United States citizens and green card holders options for both DIY and assisted tax filing. Note that both providers offer some type of audit support, the option to import data, and a tax calculator.
Mobile app: tie
The mobile apps of H&R Block and TurboTax, both have all-inclusive features that allow users to prepare and file taxes as effectively as possible directly from their mobile devices.
TurboTax Mobile App:
- Performance: Stable & consistent performance, minimal glitches
- User interface: Clean and appealing design
- In-app support: Features the TurboTax Assistant, which provides speedy and comprehensive responses
H&R Block Mobile App:
- Performance: Solid performance, few bugs or disruptions
- User interface: Replicates the desktop experience with straightforward navigation and a clean appearance.
- In-app support: Utilizes the browser-based help system, which users have noted as offering quick and thorough assistance.
Both apps are practical and user-friendly. H&R Block’s app offers faster performance and a straightforward interface, while TurboTax provides a more dynamic user experience with an advanced help assistant. Choosing the better option will boil down to personal preference for interface design and desired assistance features.
Customer service & ease of use: H&R Block wins
This competition is a close call since both TurboTax and H&R Block have largely similar offerings. H&R Block edges out the competition through its in-person service offerings. Outside of this single divergence, Turbo Tax and H&R Block are relatively equal in terms of expert assistance and simplicity of the user interface.
Both products provide online support. Users can access a knowledge base, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and articles that cover a wide range of tax topics.
TurboTax and H&R Block get equivalent marks for simplicity of interface use. An example of the simple interface used by TurboTax is shown below. For additional ease of navigation, the dashboard includes a chat option in the lower right corner to provide assistance.
TurboTax dashboard
H&R Block’s user interface is equally easy to navigate. Every page includes clear instructions, and you can skip sections to revisit later. By logging in, you can access a tax calculator and the status of your refund.
H&R Block input screen
User reviews: TurboTax wins
In the world of user ratings, Turbo Tax edged out H&R Block by a narrow tenth of a point. However, the rating points don’t align with the general comments. This is likely in part due to the fact that users leaving a rating often do so after a frustrating experience. While these ratings should not be ignored, they should be taken in conjunction with the other user comments, identifying what consistently works and doesn’t work about the products.
How I evaluated TurboTax vs H&R Block
I compared TurboTax and H&R Block based on these criteria:
- Features: I considered product characteristics such as ease of data import, navigation, refund tracking tools, and in-product support.
- Pricing: I verified the availability of free trials and confirmed pricing for varying tax prep packages.
- Technical support: Being able to access help when needed is a primary concern for users, so I assessed the ease of access to product experts via phone, email, or chat options.
- Ease of use: Particularly with DIY software, it’s important that software be easy to navigate. I reviewed how easy it is to move around the product from inception to completion of the tax return.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If your business is audited, H&R Block will review, research, and respond on behalf of your business to any IRS letter or notice.
Yes, TurboTax offers a free mobile app for both iOS and Android users.
H&R Block uses proprietary software to prepare taxes for both individuals and businesses. For those wanting to prepare their own taxes, it offers both an online and desktop version of its software.
TurboTax offers two products for small business owners: TurboTax Home & Business and TurboTax Business. While TurboTax Home & Business is designed for sole proprietors and 1099 contractors, TurboTax Business assists with preparing taxes for corporations, partnerships, and LLCs.
Bottom Line
Based on our expert TurboTax vs H&R Block comparison, H&R Block comes out as the winner in the categories evaluated. This top spot was earned by H&R Block by a razor-thin margin, but since both products have a strong interface and their own variation of industry-standard tech support, the best option is ultimately one of user preference.