Don't pay to do your taxes!!!!!!

H&R Block, you are officially on my list of shifty buggers I have to keep my eye on.  

Jake and I decided to do our taxes last night, gleefully anticipating our federal refund. It's going to be a little less this year, which I had to explain to Jake is a GOOD thing - it means we made more money overall this year! But as we reached the big money-maker portion of the return, the EIC (Earned Income Credit), H&R Block pulled a fast one.

They tried to say that the free version of their online software did NOT include the EIC paperwork, and if we wanted to include schedule EIC in our return, we would have to upgrade to the $19.99 version of the software! And they made sure to show exactly how many thousands of dollars we would be forfeiting if we failed to file the EIC.

I was livid! How DARE they? The EIC goes to the low income families with children - and H&R banks (quite literally) on people being both poorly informed about how to file their taxes and eager/desperate to receive their refund.

My mother in law heard my loud profanity (I have a mouth like a sailor when it comes to financial injustice) and came in the room to see what was wrong. She showed me that yes, if you log in through H&R's website, you have to pay for the upgrade.

But if you go through www.irs.gov and click on Free File, it will take you to a version of H&R Block that is completely free (for income levels under 60K). So we had to back out and re-enter everything after going through the IRS link.

I share with you so you don't get to a certain point in your refund and get duped into paying for a service that is being offered for free.

And H&R Block, I'm watching you.