Disorganized, unprofessional, and unwilling to take responsibility…read more
My experience with H&R Block's Capitola Block Advisors office has been appalling. After more than two and a half years of trying to resolve tax problems, I'm finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel--but only because I eventually found competent help elsewhere.
Karen Manring was extraordinarily disorganized. Our conversations were scattered and confusing, with little systematic review of my returns, documentation of problems, or follow-through. I repeatedly found myself managing issues that I had hired and paid tax professionals to handle.
Worse, Karen incorrectly reported an IRA investment loss as an expense on my federal tax return. This contributed to an IRS assessment of approximately $20,000 more than I actually owed. I ultimately had to seek assistance from the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service to understand and address the problem.
Karen also failed to recognize a critical filing deadline, jeopardizing my opportunity to recover nearly $5,000 in California taxes. That matter remains under formal appeal.
When I pressed for resolution, Karen refused to continue helping me and handed me off to her supervisor, James Dunham. Remarkably, James described himself as "not being a tax professional," explaining that he had only the basic tax training required for his management role. Yet he was the person assigned to resolve my complex tax problems. Rather than arranging for a qualified preparer to take over, he became openly hostile, told me he'd done all he could, and said I could hire another tax professional if I wanted further assistance.
The contrast with other H&R Block offices was striking. Elsewhere, I encountered professionals who systematically reviewed documents, explained their findings, and kept records of the work. Eventually, another H&R Block preparer identified the errors and prepared amended returns.
In October 2026, the IRS finally processed my corrected 2020 return, reducing my outstanding federal tax balance from more than $20,000 to just $254.20, which I paid. My 2022 correction and California appeal remain unresolved.
Perhaps the most frustrating part has been the extraordinary amount of time I've spent learning about tax law, IRS forms, deadlines, amendments, and appeals--precisely the work I paid professionals to handle. Taxes aren't my area of expertise, nor should they have needed to become one.
I have also filed a formal complaint with H&R Block corporate, which remains unresolved.
Mistakes happen. But professional competence, organized recordkeeping, respectful communication, and accountability shouldn't be optional.
In my experience, the Capitola office failed on every count. I cannot recommend it.
