After becoming a first-time homeowner this past August, I decided to schedule an appointment with a tax consultant to file my 2014 taxes. As a tax novice, I had many questions regarding how buying a home effects my filing status and if there was an advantage to seeking professional assistance versus filing myself. With the brand recognition, strong advertising and CEO Bill Cobb's promise of, "You will get your maximum refund. Guaranteed," I assumed H&R Block would professionally assist me in preparing my 2014 taxes. However, I was severely disappointed.
My appointment was with senior tax consultant Nand at the location on 3720 Gattis School Road in Round Rock, Texas. Nand was not personable and demonstrated a stark attitude toward my questions. After reviewing my W2, 1098 and 1099 forms for a couple of minutes, he simply stated that he could file my taxes for $250-$350. Not concerned about the pricing, I asked how being a homeowner effects my filing status and if he could explain the difference. Nand replied that he didn't know and needed to "put the numbers in his computer". Disappointed with the simplicity of this answer, I asked him again how filing taxes as a homeowner is different and if there were any details he could provide to help me understand the process. Nand simply replied "no". At that point, I decided to leave and told Nand that his customer service competencies were poor. His response was, "You give me $250 and I will file your taxes."
This was an awful experience and a poor use of my time. I acknowledge that I don't know much about taxes--which some people may find to be common knowledge--but I maintained confidence that H&R Block would have friendly and empathetic representatives willing to assist me. Nand demonstrated a lack of concern for my needs, making me feel like a nuisance. After leaving H&R Block, I traveled to a local business about five minutes away named Round Rock Tax Center. I was greeted with a smile by the business owner and she answered my questions, helping schedule an appointment that afternoon. I have now learned that a homeowner should claim mortgage interest, property taxes and deduct mortgage points when filing. In hindsight this may seem like simple stuff that could be independently researched, but I am new to owning a home and acknowledge there is a wealth of things in the world I'm uneducated about. Knowing this, I defaulted to assumption that H&R Block would be willing to help, but the location at 3720 Gattis School demonstrated otherwise. read more