- Guided online filing: Walks an individual filer through a federal return and supported state returns in a browser.
- Import tools: Brings in supported prior-year returns and tax-document data to reduce re-entry.
- Investments and rentals: Supports investment sales, home sales, crypto transactions, and rental-property income in the relevant Online workflow.
- Self-employment forms: Handles freelance, contractor, gig, sole-proprietor, and single-member LLC income in an individual return.
- Help inside Online: Provides AI guidance and access to live assistance on supported paid Online routes, while office and full-service preparation remain separate products.
H&R Block
Guided online self-filing for individual federal and state returns
Updated August 12, 2026
H&R Block Overview
This page covers H&R Block Online, the browser-based self-filing service for individual federal and state returns. It uses a guided interview, imports supported tax information, checks the return, and sends the completed filing electronically.
H&R Block also sells desktop software and offers virtual and in-office preparation, but those are separate services. Online users still prepare their own return, even when they use the expert-help tools available inside the web product.
Key Features
Pricing
| Plan or service | Current price | Billing and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Free Online | $0 federal and $0 state | For qualifying simple individual returns. H&R Block says 52% of filers qualify. |
| Deluxe Online | $65 federal plus $49 per state | For homeowners, HSA reporting, childcare expenses, and expanded deductions. |
| Premium Online | $105 federal plus $49 per state | For investment and crypto sales, a home sale, and rental-property income. |
| Self-Employed Online | $130 federal plus $49 per state | For freelance, contractor, gig, sole-proprietor, and single-member LLC income. |
These prices apply to the browser-based Online product. Desktop software, office preparation, and full-service preparation use separate offers.
Pricing source: H&R Block official Online pricing.
Pros
| Compared with | Why this product may fit better |
|---|---|
| TaxAct | H&R Block offers online filing, desktop software, expert help, full service, and physical offices under one brand. A TaxAct user has strong online help choices, but H&R Block gives someone who gets stuck more ways to change the level of assistance. |
| FreeTaxUSA | H&R Block can move a hard return into paid expert help or office preparation. FreeTaxUSA is the lower-cost self-file option, but it does not offer the same national in-person network when a tax question becomes too difficult. |
| Cash App Taxes | H&R Block gives filers a visible path to a professional review, full-service preparation, or a local office. Cash App Taxes stays self-service, so H&R Block is safer for someone who expects a straightforward return but still wants a professional fallback if an unusual issue appears. |
| TaxSlayer | H&R Block Free Online includes one state return for qualifying simple filers. TaxSlayer also has a restricted free product, so buyers should compare the eligibility rules and the state charge rather than look only at the $0 federal label. |
Cons
| Compared with | Where this product may fall short |
|---|---|
| TaxAct | H&R Block’s paid online tiers add $49 for every state, so a multi-state return can become expensive. A buyer considering TaxAct should total every state and any expert help before deciding which service costs less. |
| FreeTaxUSA | H&R Block moves investments, rentals, and self-employment into higher federal tiers. FreeTaxUSA keeps those supported federal forms at $0, so an experienced self-filer may be paying H&R Block mainly for its interview and help choices. |
| Cash App Taxes | H&R Block’s $0 offer is limited to qualifying simple returns, while Cash App Taxes supports several situations that move H&R Block users into a paid tier. Check every required form before entering data because the H&R Block upgrade can change the final bill. |
| TaxSlayer | TaxSlayer has lower paid prices for many self-filing situations. H&R Block’s wider Trustpilot profile also contains many complaints about service, unexpected charges, and filing problems, although the pool mixes software and office experiences. |
Reviews
- Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards 2026 (more than 4,200 readers across all award categories): Readers rated H&R Block outstanding for ease of use and overall satisfaction. Their comments praise help with difficult tax situations and say the software found savings or helped prevent mistakes. The published sample covers the whole Kiplinger survey, not H&R Block alone.
- Trustpilot H&R Block profile (1.3/5 from 1,487 reviews): Recent software users describe trouble finding live help, AI answers that did not solve the problem, software errors, and fees they did not expect. A positive filer describes a knowledgeable professional who corrected a mistake and recovered a refund. The profile includes 195 reviews from the past year, but it mixes Online, office, and other H&R Block services.
