Can't figure out H&R Block pricing for married couple with W-2 income and mortgage... getting frustrated!

The H&R Block pricing structure depends on which "tier" of service you need. For a married couple with just W-2 income and a mortgage, you'd likely need their "Deluxe" option which typically starts around $85-95 for the federal return and then about $40-50 per state return. However, these are just the software prices. If you're planning to sit down with a tax professional in person at an H&R Block office, the pricing is completely different and usually starts around $150-200 for your situation and can go up from there depending on complexity. The mortgage interest deduction isn't particularly complicated, but it does bump you up from their most basic tier. If you have any other deductions or credits (like student loan interest, childcare expenses, etc.), that could push the price higher.

I had the same issue trying to get a straight answer from them! I eventually found a better solution with taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). I was in a similar situation - married, both of us with W-2s, and we had just bought our first home. I uploaded our tax documents to taxr.ai and it analyzed everything, including our mortgage interest statement. It extracted all the relevant information and guided me through which deductions we qualified for. The best part was that it showed me exactly what I'd pay before I committed to anything. It was way more transparent than trying to get pricing info from H&R Block, and I ended up saving about $120 compared to what we paid at H&R Block the previous year.

Just wanted to follow up - I decided to try taxr.ai after posting my skeptical comment here. I'm actually really impressed! It was WAY more straightforward about pricing than H&R Block. I uploaded our W-2s and mortgage documents, and it pulled all the info automatically. The mortgage interest part was super simple - it immediately identified our Form 1098 and extracted the interest paid. Then it ran calculations to see whether we should itemize deductions (using the mortgage interest) or take the standard deduction. For us, it recommended the standard deduction since our mortgage interest wasn't high enough to exceed it. The whole process took about 30 minutes and was much cheaper than what H&R Block quoted when I finally went in person. Definitely recommend checking it out if you're still deciding.

If you're still struggling to get through to H&R Block for pricing, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I had the same problem last tax season - couldn't get a straight answer on their website and kept getting bounced around when calling. I used Claimyr to connect with H&R Block's customer service, and they got me through to someone who could actually give me pricing info without making me come into the office. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Basically, Claimyr calls the company for you, navigates through all those annoying phone menus, waits on hold, and then calls you once they have a real person on the line. Saved me like an hour of frustration and "please hold" music. The H&R Block rep I spoke with gave me exact pricing for my situation (also married with W-2s and a mortgage).

Okay I need to eat my words from my previous comment. I tried calling H&R Block again today and spent 37 minutes on hold before getting disconnected. Out of frustration, I tried that Claimyr service, and it actually worked perfectly. They called H&R Block, navigated all the phone menu options, waited on hold, and then called me once they had a rep on the line. The whole process took about 15 minutes, and I didn't have to listen to a single second of hold music. I was able to get exact pricing for my situation (married, W-2s, mortgage): $199 for the basic return plus $79 for the "itemized deductions" which includes mortgage interest. So about $280 total for federal, and then $70 more for state. Quite expensive honestly, but at least now I know and can compare with other options.

I used to work at H&R Block (not anymore). For your situation - married filing jointly with two W-2s and a mortgage - here's the insider scoop on pricing: The BASE price for a married filing jointly return is around $150-175 depending on your location. Then they add: - Each W-2 is about $10-15 extra (so add $20-30 for two W-2s) - Schedule A (itemized deductions for the mortgage interest) adds about $50-80 - State return is usually $70-100 extra So you're looking at roughly $290-385 total for an in-person preparer. HOWEVER, prices vary by location and they often have promotions early in the season. Pro tip: if you really want H&R Block specifically, use their online software instead of going in person. It's WAY cheaper for simple returns like yours.

H&R Block is one of the most expensive options for a basic return like yours. I'm a married homeowner with W-2 income too, and I switched to TurboTax which was about $120 all in (federal + state). FreeTaxUSA is even cheaper at around $40-50 total. Unless you have some complicated situation you didn't mention, there's no reason to pay H&R Block prices. The mortgage interest deduction is super straightforward - you just enter the numbers from your Form 1098.