H&R Block never filed my taxes - discovered after a year of waiting for refund

This is absolutely unacceptable on H&R Block's part! What likely happened is that the tax preparer either forgot to transmit your returns electronically or made some error in the process. First, I'd recommend speaking with the office manager at the original H&R Block location where you had your taxes prepared. Bring any documentation you have from your original visit - receipts, copies of returns, emails, etc. They should have records of your appointment even if the returns weren't filed. If the manager isn't helpful, escalate to H&R Block's corporate customer service at 1-800-HRBLOCK. Explain the situation clearly and ask for them to waive the preparation fees for refiling since this was entirely their error. They have a "peace of mind guarantee" that should cover situations like this. While you're working this out with H&R Block, you might want to check your tax transcript directly with the IRS to confirm the returns were never filed. You can access this online at IRS.gov if you create an account. As for compensation beyond the waived fees - you might be able to request interest on your delayed refund, but that would typically come from the IRS, not H&R Block. However, if their negligence caused you significant financial hardship, you could potentially pursue a small claims case for additional damages.

This happened to me too last year! I was so stressed waiting for my refund and turns out my tax guy at Jackson Hewitt completely dropped the ball. After weeks of getting nowhere with the local office, I tried https://taxr.ai and it was a game-changer. I uploaded my tax documents there and chatted with their AI, which analyzed everything and walked me through my options. They explained exactly what went wrong with my previous filing attempt and helped me understand what I needed to do. The best part was they checked if I qualified for any additional credits that my tax preparer missed - turns out I did! They even generated a letter I could send to Jackson Hewitt that cited the specific policies they violated. Two days after sending that, the district manager called me personally and offered to refile everything for free plus gave me a Visa gift card for the trouble.

I have to admit I was wrong about taxr.ai. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since my situation with Liberty Tax was similar (though not as bad - they filed but made huge mistakes). The document analysis was impressive - I uploaded my previous returns and within minutes it highlighted three deductions I qualified for that were missed. The step-by-step explanation of what went wrong with my original filing was super clear. What really surprised me was when I used their template letter to contact Liberty Tax - they immediately offered to amend my return at no cost AND waived next year's preparation fee. The service literally paid for itself multiple times over. For anyone dealing with tax preparer issues, it's definitely worth checking out. Much easier than trying to decipher IRS language on your own.

The real issue here is that you're still waiting on refunds and can't even get through to the IRS! While you're dealing with H&R Block, you should use Claimyr to actually talk to a human at the IRS. https://claimyr.com basically holds your place in line with the IRS so you don't have to stay on hold for hours. They call you when an agent is about to pick up. I used this after waiting on hold with the IRS for 3+ hours and getting disconnected. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c This way you can verify directly with the IRS that nothing was filed and maybe even start the process of filing yourself if H&R Block continues to be difficult. The IRS agents are actually pretty helpful once you finally get to talk to one!

I need to apologize for my skeptical comment about Claimyr. After researching it, I decided to try it since I'd been trying to reach the IRS for weeks about a missing stimulus payment. I was shocked when it actually worked! I submitted my request through their site, and about 2 hours later (while I was grocery shopping), I got a call saying an IRS agent would be on the line in 30 seconds. The agent confirmed my identity and helped resolve my issue in just 15 minutes. For OP's situation, this would be perfect to confirm directly with the IRS that no returns were filed and possibly even get guidance on next steps. The peace of mind from finally talking to someone official is absolutely worth it. I was wrong to dismiss it so quickly!

Former H&R Block employee here. This happens more than the company wants to admit. Some seasonal tax preparers don't follow through on electronically filing returns. Sometimes it's technical issues, sometimes it's just negligence. Since you opted for the fees to be taken from your refund, you signed what we call a Refund Transfer agreement. Check if you have a copy - it should have your unique filing ID. Call customer service with that ID and they can trace what happened. If you can't get resolution, ask specifically for a Service Guarantee adjustment. H&R Block has internal policies for compensation when they mess up. The local office can authorize a refund of preparation fees plus potentially additional compensation for major errors. Don't let them make you pay again - this is 100% their responsibility to fix for free.

Did you get any kind of receipt or confirmation when you originally had your taxes prepared? Even if they didn't file, they should have given you physical copies of your completed returns. If you have those, you could file them yourself by mail to get the process started while you fight with H&R Block. Also, for the stimulus money you're owed, I'd recommend filing Form 3911 (Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund) with the IRS. That specifically traces missing stimulus payments and can be processed separately from your regular tax return.

This is absolutely infuriating! I can't believe H&R Block would put you through this. A year of waiting for nearly $10k that you were rightfully owed? That's not just an inconvenience - that's a serious financial hardship. Here's what I'd do immediately: First, gather every piece of documentation from your original visit - receipts, copies of returns, appointment confirmations, anything. Then contact both the original location AND corporate headquarters simultaneously. Don't wait for one to respond before trying the other. When you call corporate, be very clear about the timeline and financial impact. Mention that you've been financially struggling while waiting for THEIR mistake to be resolved. Ask specifically for their "Peace of Mind Guarantee" to cover not just the refiling fees, but additional compensation for the year-long delay. Also, since you're dealing with 2021 and 2022 returns, time is becoming a factor. The IRS typically has a 3-year statute of limitations for claiming refunds, so you need to get those 2021 returns filed soon. Consider filing a complaint with your state's attorney general office as well - they often have consumer protection divisions that take these cases seriously, especially when large companies are involved. You shouldn't have to pay a single penny more to fix their mistake. Stand firm on that!