TurboTax vs H&R Block: 2026 Tax Software Comparison

The short answer

H&R Block is the better all-around value; TurboTax is the better guided software experience. DollarScout scores H&R Block 4.5/5 and TurboTax 4.4/5 using Price, Ease of Use, Accuracy Tools, Support, and Refund Guidance. The difference is small because neither product wins every category.

For 2025 individual returns filed in 2026, H&R Block advertises Free Online at $0, Deluxe at $65, Premium at $105, and Self-Employed at $130. A qualifying Free return includes federal and state filing at $0; paid online tiers charge $49 for each state. AI Tax Assist and unlimited Live Tax Pro Support are currently included with paid DIY editions.

TurboTax advertises Do It Yourself from $0 to $139, Expert Assist from $79 to $209, and Expert Full Service from a promotional $100 for a base W-2 and Form 1040. State filing is additional on paid products, and Full Service uses forms-based pricing after the starting offer.

Decision factor	TurboTax	H&R Block
Overall DollarScout rating	4.4/5	4.5/5
Free product	Qualifying simple federal and state return	Qualifying simple federal and state return
Paid DIY federal	$59 to $139 currently	$65 Deluxe, $105 Premium, $130 Self-Employed
Paid state filing	Additional; confirm the selected product	$49 per state
Human help inside DIY	Expert Assist or another paid upgrade	Live Tax Pro Support included on paid DIY tiers
Professional preparation	Expert Full Service, online or where available in person	Virtual or office tax-professional preparation

Free filing is narrow on both platforms

TurboTax Free Edition is designed for a simple Form 1040 without most attached forms or schedules. Its current exceptions include the forms needed for the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, student-loan interest, Schedule 1-A, and certain retirement distributions. Intuit estimates that roughly 37% of filers qualify.

H&R Block's Free Online product supports a broader set of common situations in its current presentation and says approximately 55% of filers qualify. Eligibility still depends on the live form list. Investment sales, rental property, more involved contract work, or other schedules can trigger a paid edition.

Neither percentage predicts an individual's checkout. A single 1099-B, Schedule C, HSA form, marketplace-insurance statement, or nonresident state return can change the required product. Build the form inventory first and preserve a copy of every source document.

Paid DIY cost

Price scores are 3.4/5 for TurboTax and 4.0/5 for H&R Block. TurboTax currently lists paid DIY federal products from $59 through $139, with the edition determined by the return. State filing is additional. Paying fees from a refund can carry a separate processing charge, and optional Audit Defense or other services can increase the basket.

H&R Block publishes a clearer current ladder: $65 Deluxe, $105 Premium, and $130 Self-Employed, plus $49 for each state. A household filing Premium in two states should therefore model $203 before any separate service. The visible state amount makes planning easier, but it is not cheap.

Compare the same complete return at the same service level. A TurboTax federal headline without its state charge is not comparable to an H&R Block federal-and-state total. Likewise, H&R Block office preparation is not comparable to TurboTax DIY pricing.

Interview and document workflow

TurboTax wins Ease of Use, 4.9/5 to 4.7/5. Its interview is exceptionally good at converting tax forms into understandable questions. Intuit Assist, contextual explanations, progress cues, prior-year carryovers, photo uploads, and direct imports reduce the need to know which schedule comes next.

H&R Block also offers a polished guided interview, document upload, competitor-return import, and AI Tax Assist. It is close enough that someone already comfortable with the interface may not benefit from switching. TurboTax's edge is the depth and continuity of explanations and imports, not a different tax law.

Imports are transcription aids, not verification. On either platform, reconcile names, Social Security numbers, box codes, withholding, cost basis, wash-sale adjustments, acquisition dates, state fields, and corrected documents. Open the final forms and compare them with the originals.

Human help while you file

H&R Block wins Support, 4.9/5 to 4.8/5. Paid H&R Block Online tiers currently include AI Tax Assist and unlimited Live Tax Pro Support. The customer still prepares and signs the DIY return, but a tax professional can answer questions without a separate expert tier under the current offer.

TurboTax DIY includes product guidance and support, while tax advice and an expert final review belong to Expert Assist or another eligible upgrade. Expert Assist currently ranges from $79 to $209 before state filing and provides unlimited questions plus a final review. TurboTax says its experts average 12 years of experience, with availability and expertise subject to the service terms.

The important distinction is responsibility. Advice inside a DIY product does not mean the professional prepared or signed the return. Confirm whether the person is giving product support, tax advice, a final review, or full preparation.

Full-service and office paths

TurboTax Expert Full Service matches the customer with a professional who prepares, signs, and files after approval. The current $100 promotional starting price covers a base W-2 and Form 1040; additional forms and states determine the personalized price. In-person matching is available in some locations.

H&R Block offers virtual preparation and a large physical-office network. That is useful for paper-heavy returns, face-to-face explanation, document drop-off, or a taxpayer who does not want to self-prepare.

H&R Block's channels are not one interchangeable account. A local office professional cannot automatically open an ordinary H&R Block Online DIY return. Ask about transfer, document reuse, price, preparer signature, amendments, notice help, and record access before starting twice.

Accuracy checks and guarantees

TurboTax scores 4.8/5 for Accuracy Tools; H&R Block scores 4.6/5. TurboTax CompleteCheck and H&R Block Accuracy Review both look for missing data and errors before filing. Each provider also publishes an accuracy guarantee addressing qualifying penalties and interest caused by a software calculation error.

H&R Block's current explanation describes reimbursement up to $10,000 for qualifying IRS penalties and interest caused by a program math error. TurboTax's Accurate Calculations Guarantee likewise addresses qualifying penalties and interest under its detailed terms.

Neither guarantee covers every bad return. Omitted income, incorrect customer entries, ignored warnings, unsupported legal positions, late action, and matters outside the written claim process can be excluded. The taxpayer remains responsible for additional tax and complete information.

Maximum refund promises

TurboTax scores 4.6/5 and H&R Block 4.5/5 for Refund Guidance. Both search for deductions and credits and publish maximum-refund remedies. The headline can sound broader than the contract.

TurboTax generally refunds the applicable software purchase price when another eligible preparation method produces a larger refund or smaller liability through the required amended-return process. H&R Block generally refunds the applicable preparation or software fee and provides an amendment without another preparation charge when an eligible H&R Block error created the worse result.

The remedy is not normally the full difference between tax outcomes. More importantly, a larger refund is not automatically a more accurate return. The objective is the correct lawful liability, supported credits, and complete income.

Audit support and representation

TurboTax's included Audit Support Guarantee provides informational guidance for an eligible notice, not representation before the IRS or a state. Audit Defense is a separate paid product. H&R Block describes free audit assistance and sells or provides other protection under separate terms; office representation is not automatically included with an online return.

If a notice arrives, verify it through an official tax-agency account, identify the deadline, preserve the filed return and source records, and determine what service was purchased. A CPA, enrolled agent, or tax attorney may be needed for representation, a large adjustment, business issues, foreign reporting, or possible fraud.

Security and record control

Both companies publish encryption and account-security controls, but tax accounts remain high-value phishing targets. Use a unique password, multifactor authentication, a secured email account, and an IRS Identity Protection PIN when appropriate. Never share an IP PIN or verification code with an unsolicited caller.

Confirm direct-deposit and payment account numbers on the final return. Download federal and state returns, worksheets, e-file acceptances, signed preparer information, and relevant guarantee terms to encrypted storage outside the provider account.

Which one should you choose?

Choose H&R Block when included live tax-pro help on a paid DIY return matters, the $49 state price is acceptable, or a virtual/office preparation route may be needed. Its 4.5/5 score reflects the strongest support structure and a more transparent paid ladder.

Choose TurboTax when the most polished interview, broad imports, CompleteCheck, and a seamless upgrade to Expert Assist or Full Service justify a higher possible price. It is especially compelling when reducing data-entry friction is worth more than minimizing fees.

Choose neither before comparing IRS Free File, VITA, TCE, FreeTaxUSA, or a qualified independent preparer. A supported free program or direct professional relationship may fit better than either national platform.

Final verdict

H&R Block wins narrowly on total value and support. TurboTax remains the benchmark for guided self-preparation. Price the entire federal, state, support, and professional-service basket, then choose the workflow whose actual responsibility matches the return.