Comparison of H&R Block, Liberty Tax, and Turbotax

Comparison of having the same tax return done by H&R Block, Liberty Tax Service, and by TurboTax.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• block
• hr
• liberty
• tax
• taxes
• turbotax

[bobfodstad]

@heatherglemza I know your company's history as well as you do. John couldn't convince Block mgmt to move from paper returns to computer quick enough, so he quit and partnered with a local chain to form Jackson Hewitt. It worked. He put data entry clerks on a computer tax program and called them tax preparers. He cashed the company out and started Liberty doing the same thing.

I have trained several JH and Liberty preparers who wanted to come to Block and they were barely average students.

[MsTaxexpert]

This report is the exact opposite of being accurate. Liberty Tax Service has the best trained preparers in the industry. They do 20 weeks of classes covering 5 times the material covered by H & R Block employees. Few H & R Block employees can pass the test Liberty Preparers are required to pass to do any return. As of next year, every tax preparer in the country is going to have to pass the level one test used by Liberty Tax... they have 3 levels of tests!!! Liberty is the best.

[bobfodstad]

Please cite your source for "5 times the material covered by H&R Block" & "few H & R Block employees can pass the Liberty test". I teach HRB classes for new employees. I have seen your "book" and it is joke compared to Block's. What Block preparer would ever want to work for Liberty and therefore take the test? I am an Enrolled Agent and year around Block employee who makes a living in the summer fixing Liberty and JH screw ups! Any EA's working for Liberty? I seriously doubt it. Be serious.

[scrapbook11]

I've worked for two Liberty tax offices and helped both of them teach classes. The liberty tax exams are take home exams, but the H&R Blocks are in class. I've seen both books and I have to agree with bobfodstad. Liberty's book isn't well written. I'm not surprised at all that the Liberty tax person needed so much help, because the training is so poor.

[kyleed75]

I just started working for Liberty for the season to get some tax experience. I know tax preparers that have worked for many different companies and they all know the basics, but are at different levels. Liberty does guarantee their work and all their returns are double checked by another preparer despite what this video states. Most stores do not prepare business returns and so it keeps things simple. I do feel that Liberty and H&R especially all charge too much, but we do give many discounts.

[heatherglemza]

@bobfodstad What Block preparer would want to work at Liberty? As a Liberty preparer I have to ask if you know our history! Our founder started @ Block & became a leading regional preparer. Heard of John Hewitt? He left Block to open Jackson Hewitt, then later left Hewitt & opened Liberty Tax. so our FOUNDER started @ HR Block & left for us! I have to ask which "book" you saw. we have 3 that we use each season, seeing one means you only saw 1/3 of the teaching info. In 2011 we have 4200 stores.

[CABkr21869]

AWESOME!

[PhantomofDB]

@Imraltrtmldais Then why did you finish the return with what you knew was an incompetent preparer? If I were in your situation, I would have asked the supervisor to simply do my tax return for me. And if she refused, I would have taken my paperwork and spent my money elsewhere. Nowhere does it say you have to stick with whatever incompetent person they sit you in front of.

[PhantomofDB]

My comments aren't to say that Turbo Tax is the way to go. In fact, if you're going to go one of the routes listed here, I'd suggest the order:

Jackson Hewitt/H&R Block-pretty much a wash

Turbo Tax

Liberty

[PhantomofDB]

@ghs618 lol@ the notion that Liberty knows more than EA. You are an enrolled agent with the IRS itself. That's who you're enrolled with. You couldn't pass the EA test, guaranteed.