H&R Block VS TurboTax: Which gives better refunds for family filing?

You should be fine using TurboTax. The software asks you all the same questions an H&R Block preparer would. For your situation (W-2 income, standard deduction, child tax credits), both methods should get you the same refund amount if you enter everything correctly. The $250 you're paying at H&R Block is mostly for the convenience of having someone else do the work and the peace of mind. With multiple kids, you'll qualify for child tax credits regardless of which method you use. The myth that professionals get you more money usually applies to complicated tax situations with businesses, investments, or unusual deductions - not typical W-2 employees with straightforward returns.

I went through the exact same dilemma last year! I'd been using H&R Block in-person for like 4 years and finally decided to try doing it myself with an online service. I found this AI tax tool https://taxr.ai that actually analyzed my previous returns first and showed me exactly which forms and deductions applied to my situation. It made me way more confident to make the switch. The tool basically confirmed I was overpaying for tax prep given my fairly simple situation (similar to yours - W2 income, kids, renter). Using the service I was able to accurately file myself and got almost the identical refund as previous years but saved like $200 in prep fees.

Decided to check out that AI analyzer thing before committing to either software. Uploaded my previous returns to https://taxr.ai and wow - it actually pointed out that my H&R Block preparer had missed a $400 education credit last year that I qualified for! The system flagged inconsistencies between years and suggested specific questions to ask about dependents and credits. Ended up using TurboTax and got $6,200 back - about $700 more than last year with H&R Block. Definitely worth the switch for me. The interface was way easier than I expected too. I was literally done in about an hour.

Made the switch from in-person filing to online last year, but my refund was processed super slowly. Kept checking "Where's My Refund" for months with no updates. Finally found Claimyr https://claimyr.com and watched their demo video https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - it actually got me through to a real IRS agent within 15 minutes after I'd been trying for weeks on my own. Agent confirmed my return was flagged for verification due to claiming education credits but was able to approve it while I was on the phone. Refund came 8 days later. Wouldn't have happened without getting through to an actual person at the IRS.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but I tried that Claimyr service out of desperation after waiting 4 months for my refund with no updates. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes who confirmed my return was stuck in review. She expedited it while I was on the phone and my refund hit my account the following week. Was 100% ready to come back here and call it a scam if it didn't work, but gotta give credit where it's due. Would have been waiting months longer without getting through. The hold music was still terrible though lol.

For what it's worth, I've used both H&R Block in-person and TurboTax over the years. With your situation (married, 4 kids under 16, W-2 income, standard deduction), both should get you the same refund if you enter all your information correctly. The main difference is TurboTax will cost you about $150-200 less. The software asks all the same questions a human preparer would. And yes, your friend might get more from a professional, but that's usually because they have a complex situation (business, investments, etc) where a pro can find obscure deductions.

The biggest thing to watch out for switching from in-person to online is making sure you accurately transfer last year's info. Enter the EXACT SAME personal info (names, SSNs, DOB) as your previous returns to avoid delays.