What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

[dsheinem]

I got audited for a five figure amount because hr block fucked up my numbers. They fucked it up and then and the nerve to tell me "well you were dumb for not buying the piece of mind clause".

The piece of mind clause apparently only covers about $5K anyway. But, for like $30, why not get it if you have taxes that are complicated enough that a mistake of that magnitude may have been possible?

I wish you luck in pursuing your options with them, but no tax prep service is ever going to get it right 100% of the time and I don't think that they, legally, have much liability in something like this as you probably waived all that away. That extra protection is meant to mitigate against circumstances like this...

So say you go to a Jiffy Lube and they blow up you car because you didn't give them an extra fifty clams for a "piece of mind" clause you'd be okay with that?

It's a fucking SERVICE INDUSTRY. And I'm not yelling at you ('cause you're cute, polite, and really nice in person) but for fuck's sake, if someone fucks up and it costs me a trip to see my Grandmother, I'm going to be pissed off. It's quite simple: THEY FUCKED UP, THEY SHOULD PAY FOR WHAT THEY FUCKED UP.
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I get that they fucked up, I just don't know that your energies are going to be well spent trying to hold them accountable in any way. I am guessing Jiffy Lube has you sign something allowing them to work on your car that also protects them against certain kinds of litigation for damage they may cause...

I hope I am wrong and you get them to pay it all and refund you, though!

[BRIK]

Do you guys have consumer bodies you can complain too? If something like that happened here, it would be lawsuit city.
Hopefully it all works out for you, Luke. Like you said, it's a service industry. They should be doing their best to keep you happy as in reality, you're a customer. I'd assume they'd want to keep you as a customer and not lose you to competition.

[MrPopo]

Do you guys have consumer bodies you can complain too? If something like that happened here, it would be lawsuit city.
Hopefully it all works out for you, Luke. Like you said, it's a service industry. They should be doing their best to keep you happy as in reality, you're a customer. I'd assume they'd want to keep you as a customer and not lose you to competition.

Luke mentioned the Better Business Bureau, which is the main group for that sort of thing here (also, had to look up how to spell bureau because fuck the French way of spelling sounds).

[KalessinDB]

I've never been audited (knock wood), so I'm unclear, but also worth noting -- doesn't being audited signify that they're actually making the accounts proper, the way it should be? As in, isn't it 5 figures that you would have had to pay at tax time anyway had H&R Block actually done their job correctly?

Now don't get me wrong -- I agree it's a fuckup, and knowing a bill is coming is always easier to budget for than getting blindsided, especially when you've got plans for the money already. But if I understand the auditing process correctly, it's not so much that they truly cost you money (a la the Jiffy Lube scenario), but more that they made you think you had money when in fact you did not.

Again, I am unsure if I'm understanding the whole auditing process properly or not, and I still wish you best of luck on a resolution you find amenable, I'm just trying to increase my understanding of something I have yet to have the misfortune to experience.

[flex wood]

I've never been audited (knock wood), so I'm unclear, but also worth noting -- doesn't being audited signify that they're actually making the accounts proper, the way it should be? As in, isn't it 5 figures that you would have had to pay at tax time anyway had H&R Block actually done their job correctly?

Now don't get me wrong -- I agree it's a fuckup, and knowing a bill is coming is always easier to budget for than getting blindsided, especially when you've got plans for the money already. But if I understand the auditing process correctly, it's not so much that they truly cost you money (a la the Jiffy Lube scenario), but more that they made you think you had money when in fact you did not.

Again, I am unsure if I'm understanding the whole auditing process properly or not, and I still wish you best of luck on a resolution you find amenable, I'm just trying to increase my understanding of something I have yet to have the misfortune to experience.

They do add on some fines for going through the audit I believe but everyone I know that's been audited has been able to get those waived. Friend of mine didn't pay state sales tax for his business and got hit with about $30,000 that he had to pay back. Even then the auditors didn't demand the money up front and a payment plan was worked out.

Lesson learned today:
H&R Block is the Olive Garden of tax prep.

[Luke]

First off I'm the realist. Anyone get that? Is this on?

Seriously, first thing: those here who have met me know that I'm actually a really easy going dude who is super friendly.

You guys are my sounding board, if you will, and venting here is therapeutic for me. Screaming out in text, for me, is better than screaming out loud and upsetting my wife, and scaring my neighbors (because they can hear me and have mentioned it. My next door neighbor actually asked me a few weeks ago "why were you shouting "boards boards boards?" because I was shouting at my tv during a hockey game).

So take everything I say with a pile of salt. I'll let you know when I'm being serious.

Dave/dish is correct that I shouldn't waste energy on being angry, but this issue is something totally new to me, and I have heard "you should have paid for the warranty" before, but I've never, ever been called Stupid by a service that guarantees their work.

And it is about money, but it's not. But it is. To clarify, I've been saving for the following things that I can't finance now because of this situation:

Going to a friend's funeral
Going to visit my Grandmother
Going to my cousin's wedding
Purchasing a new dining room table and cabinet
Purchasing a new car (a cheap one, but "Silver" my Focus isn't doing too well)

And yeah, because they fudged the numbers there are fees and fines that I'm expected to pay to the IRS.

I believe I'm taking the appropriate course, but if anyone thinks I could be doing more to help, PLEASE let me know. The fees are due in early July, so I don't have much time to screw around.

[darsparx]

- found some old games from my grandmother's house of mine and a few others

- laptop of hers that I wanted to see if I could get working supposedly has a flaw in it that a recall was out on to replace it but wasn't publicly announced so it seems everything but the video card works....

[mjmjr25]

but I've never, ever been called Stupid by a service that guarantees their work.

...things that I can't finance now because of this situation:

but if anyone thinks I could be doing more to help, PLEASE let me know.

Were you called stupid by a service...or by a person? I doubt it's HRBlock's standing policy to call customers stupid and no company can predict the behavior of every employee. I'd think if you spoke to the office manager, or up the chain to regional director they'd like to know about it.

As KalessinDB pointed out, that is likely money you were given due to the error, or money you owed due to the error - so it isn't really lost money. I understand you thought you had it, but not much you can do if it isn't yours, it needs to be paid. You've always said to be prepared and have an emergency fund - can't you dip into that to pay for these things and replenish the fund over the coming weeks?

What else can you be doing - sarcastic answer, "your own taxes". I do my own and I have plenty of one off forms. They take time, but I pay no service fees and they are done right. Beyond that, you can defer penalties in an audit to the next tax season, simply let the auditer know the circumstances and you thought you had this money - you have the option to pay it back on the next refund or bill due. This is 100% accurate; i've done it after we were audited 10 years ago.

[flex wood]

Oh you should probably talk to someone that specializes in tax law, either an actual lawyer or an accountant. You said you talked to your lawyer but that sounds like only to go after H&R which you should but not as a knee jerk response. You should get figured out what the audit is going to actually mean for you and explore your options before going after H&R.

Also Mike is 100% right. Either do your own taxes or get them done by a professional. H&R is most staffed by temp employees. You wouldn't take a Maserati to Jiffy Lube for an oil change would you?

[ExedExes]

You wouldn't take a Maserati to Jiffy Lube for an oil change would you?

No, because I heard they have servicemen that will blow up your car and then call you stupid.

Seriously Luke, hope things work out for you.