H&R Block Online (Deluxe / Premium / Self-Employed) review 2027

What problem does H&R Block Online solve?

H&R Block Online is for filers who want software to do the arithmetic but a person available if the return gets complicated. The verdict puts it plainly: it is TurboTax with a slightly lower price and a physical door to walk through. If the office matters to you, it is the pick of the premium products; otherwise FreeTaxUSA does the same maths for less.

The tagline frames the trade: nearly TurboTax's ease for a little less money, a more generous free tier, and 9,000 offices if you want to hand it over. That last part is the reason to choose it over cheaper rivals. You can start in the browser and switch to an office appointment at any point, which is the benefit no free filer in this ranking offers.

The free tier also covers more common forms than TurboTax's, including student loan interest and unemployment. Every return we filed matched the CPA. Deluxe and state undercut TurboTax. Those four points are what the product is selling: a familiar interview, a correct result, and a human backstop.

How did we score H&R Block Online?

The overall score is 8.1, third of seven products tested. The breakdown shows where the points came from and where they did not.

Accuracy & guidance: 28 out of 30. This measures whether the software reached the CPA's refund on our three returns, and how well its questions caught deductions and credits. All three matched, which is why the loss here is small.

Price: 12 out of 25. This is federal plus one state for each of the three returns, at the tier the return actually required, in the last week of March. It is the weakest column and the reason the product sits behind the free filers.

Ease of use: 18 out of 20. Time to complete each return, clarity of the interview, and upsell interruptions. The interview is close to TurboTax's; the upsells cost it points.

Support: 15 out of 15. Help content, live chat, access to a tax professional, audit assistance. A full score, and the only criterion where it beats everything else in the ranking.

Import & features: 8 out of 10. W-2 and 1099 import, brokerage import, prior-year import from competitors, refund options. W-2 photo and prior-year import work; brokerage coverage is narrower than TurboTax's.

Where does H&R Block Online stand out?

The measured result is the headline: 3/3 returns matched the CPA. Accuracy is the criterion with the most weight, and the software earned 28 of 30 there.

Support is the other clean win at 15 of 15. Online Assist is available, and so is the in-office route. Free audit support is included, with the Worry-Free Guarantee as an add-on.

The free tier is more generous than TurboTax's, covering simple returns plus student loan interest and unemployment. For a filer whose situation stays simple, that is a real starting point rather than a demo.

What do you get, and how is it built?

The nine spec rows describe the product as a ladder of tiers rather than a single purchase.

• Free federal: simple returns, including student loan interest and unemployment.
• Simple return (fed + state): 0 USD.
• Freelancer return: 164 USD.
• Investor return: 134 USD.
• Schedule C: Self-Employed tier.
• Tax pro access: Online Assist; in-office.
• Audit support: free audit support; Worry-Free Guarantee add-on.
• Imports: W-2 photo, many brokerages, prior year.
• State returns: $49 each.

The structure is the point. A simple filer pays nothing federally. A freelancer or investor moves up a tier, and a state return adds $49. The in-office option is not a separate product; it is a handoff available from the same account.

How does it compare with the rivals we tested?

FreeTaxUSA scored 8.6 at $14.99. Its free federal covers all forms, Schedule C is free, and it matched the CPA on all three returns. Its state is $14.99, its Pro Support is $39.99, and Deluxe at $7.99 includes audit assist. It has no brokerage import. Against it, H&R Block is ahead on support and on the office handoff, behind on price and on the breadth of the free tier.

TurboTax scored 8.2 at $89. Its free federal is simple returns only, its freelancer and investor returns are 193 USD, and its state is $64 each. It has the easiest interview and the best imports: W-2 photo, 1,000+ brokerages, crypto, prior year. H&R Block undercuts it on Deluxe and state, and matches it on accuracy, but loses on import coverage.

TaxAct scored 7.5 at $54.99. Its simple return is 39.99 USD, freelancer 149.98 USD, investor 129.98 USD, and state $39.99–$59.99 each. Xpert Assist is included on paid tiers and it carries a $100,000 accuracy guarantee. It is priced close to H&R Block without the offices, which is exactly the gap H&R Block sells against.

Where does H&R Block Online fall short?

It lost on price against the free products, and the test cons explain why.

• Self-Employed with state is $164.
• Brokerage import covers fewer institutions.
• Upsells throughout.

The price column scored 12 of 25, the lowest of the five criteria. The import column scored 8 of 10, held back by brokerage coverage. The ease-of-use column scored 18 of 20, with upsell interruptions named as part of what the criterion measures.

What does H&R Block Online cost?

The price summary is $55. The tiers break down as follows: simple return federal plus state at 0 USD; freelancer return at 164 USD; investor return at 134 USD. State returns are $49 each. Schedule C sits in the Self-Employed tier. Audit support is free, with the Worry-Free Guarantee as an add-on.

Who should buy H&R Block Online?

It is still right for filers who might want to hand it to a person. That is the whole case: start online, and if the return stops being something you want to finish alone, switch to an office appointment at any point.

If you will never use the office, the maths changes. FreeTaxUSA does the same work for less, and the free filers cost nothing at all. Buy H&R Block when the door is part of what you are paying for.