Product review: H&R Block Tax Software Deluxe + State 2020 - Bargain Hunters Alert for Cyber Monday $22.49

 

I have been using H&R Block tax software for many years, and overall despite minor complaints here and there I find that it meets my needs best. I keep using H&RBlock because it does what I need and it has always been cheaper than TurboTax. I have been buying the Deluxe version of H&R Block because it covers the mutual fund's sales, cost basis calculations are included (Schedule D, capital gains and losses), the form for Foreign Tax Credit from mutual funds is present (Form 1116), as well as stock sales. It also includes Schedule C (profit or loss from business) and Schedule K1 (K-1 S Corps) if you are reporting gain or loss on your personal taxes. To get this functionality in TurboTax you need to buy the Premium version of the software.

INSTALLATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* If you are using a digital download you will need an activation code to install the software.
The activation code is shown in Amazon email with the subject line "Your Amazon.com order of "H&R Block Tax Software Del...". If needed you can also get it from Amazon Software downloads. To locate it you need to do this:
1) Log into Amazon
2) Select 'Your Account' and the section called 'Digital Content'
3) Select 'Your Games and Software downloads'
4) Then under H&R software entry, you will see activation code

* Does H&R allow to install the software on two PCs?
No. The license agreement that one needs to accept during the install says this:

“Software copies. You may only install and use the Software on one computer. You may copy the Software for backup and archival purposes only, as long as the original and each copy are kept in your possession and control.

Upgrades. You must first acquire a valid License to the Software to receive and use any Software upgrades. After you acquire and install any Software upgrade, you may only use the upgraded version of the Software and you will no longer use the prior version of the Software other than for backup or archival purposes if you need to reinstall the Software."


PRICE
~~~~~~
If you are looking for the best deal Amazon often runs very attractive promotions on Black Friday and a few other times between now and April. You can get notified about the price drops by checking camelcamelcamel site that can send you emails when the price drops by the amount you specify. During the last tax year season, the price fluctuated between $20 and the list price of $44.99, dipping below $30 a number of times. It also qualifies for digital credits for No-rush Prime shipping. However, it no longer qualifies for rewards from Prime Card rewards (this change started last year).



* WHAT IS INCLUDED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Using tax software includes two fees - one to use the software and the second one to e-file the returns with IRS. This package includes the cost of using both the Federal tax return and State return for one state (if you need to file taxes in two states, you will need to buy the second state software at full price).

This package also includes the cost of 5 free Federal e-files but it does NOT include the cost of e-file for the state return. Note that there is NO limit on how many returns can be printed on paper for either Federal or State return, so you can print and mail any number of returns you desire.

Note 1: New York State law prohibits additional charges for State e-file (NY residents still have to pay for using the software).  There is an income limit to qualify for totally free e-file.  In 2018 the limit was $66,000. The limit for 2020 will be posted in January 2021 on the NY state web site.
Note 2: In the comments, I posted a full list of states that allow e-file, as well as the list states that require the return to be printed and mailed.

* The state forms are not available as I write this review. When I tried to install my state return I got a message that I will receive an email when state return will become available.

When the state forms become available the state software can be downloaded directly from the H&R Block application from the first screen of the state tax preparation. There is no extra fee.
All updates of both federal and state software are free.

* GENERAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* When you start the software, the first step (after validating your license) allows you to old your data from the previous year's return. You can load H&R Block software, TurboTax or PDF copy of 2018 return.

* Since many of my numbers are not final, I use the H&R feature that allows me to mark entries as “tentative” (right mouse click, then select “mark entry as tentative” from a drop-down list).

H&R Block keeps track of all tentative entries and displays them during a "check" step which normally is invoked at the end of the interview, but can also be invoked by itself at any time. The check step lists all entries marked as tentative so it is easy to update them.

* H&R Block starts the interview process with an annoying up-sell pitch, recommending an upgrade from Deluxe to Premium even when it is not necessary. In my opinion, they should have determined if the person would truly benefit from the Premium version first. That would have been useful. As it stands now it is just annoying.

What is the difference between Premium and Deluxe? The Premium version offers advanced tools for self-employed and rental property owners: cost basis of home sales, dividends, gifts, and inheritance assets. It has advanced schedule C guidance to maximize deductions for self-employment income. And finally, it has guidance for rental property income and expenses. The rest of the Premium package is the same as Deluxe.

Note that the Deluxe package has support for self-employed income as well as stock sale cost basis calculations.  Schedule C is a complete schedule - expenses, depreciation and all that through an interview process. The difference with the Premium version is that with Deluxe you are reporting gain or loss on your PERSONAL taxes.

* To combat stolen-identity tax returns H&R Block now asks you to provide state-issued ID number. It is not required but highly encouraged.

* H&R Block provided me some guidance for completing Form 1116 (foreign tax credit, for example, foreign tax paid by a mutual fund). However, I needed to keep switching between the whole-form view and interview to enter data and then back to the interview to read the instructions. Even though the form where you can enter data is visible at the same time as instructions you cannot enter data into it until you switch into the whole-form view. This is cumbersome, but at least there is some guidance for this form.

* I like DeductionPro which helps suggests reasonable prices based on the condition of the donated used clothing items. It is nice not to have to come up with what is reasonable on my own.

* The final tax return can be saved in a PDF format for future reference. I always do that so I can re-print an old return without having to run an old copy of H&R Block (especially down the road when a new computer may not even have an old H&R Block installed).

* H&R Block can print forms when an Ethernet connection is disconnected. In 2014 TurboTax introduced a requirement that the data had to be sent to Intuit's servers to be formatted for printing. H&R Block does not have this requirement.

* If you owe taxes there are three options for payment: electronic withdrawal from your bank (free), mailing a check (free) and paying by credit card from a secure web site (not free). IRS does not charge a fee but the sites that provide this service do. There are several web sites that provide this service with a "convenience" fee. If you search for "pay taxes by credit or debit" you will see the detailed fee schedule on the irs.gov web site.

* Is it possible to download an old version of H&R Block software purchased on Amazon?

Yes. Amazon allows you to download the software purchased on Amazon as long as you have an Amazon account. There is no extra charge for downloading old software. The first download I bought on Amazon was in 2009 and I tested that I can still download it.
Note that if you purchased software directly from the H&RBlock site, they add on a charge for "extended download service". Amazon does not do that.

To get an old digital download you go to "your orders", then "digital orders" and then select a year from the drop-down list. The list goes back to the year I opened my Amazon account.

* Does application provide a feature to confirm IRS/state agency tax acceptance status?

Yes, once you submit your return there will be a button on the first page to request a status check. The resulting status will be displayed on the first page. You can request status updates multiple times.

TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I ran into an issue trying to save my return as PDF995 (i.e. as PDF). Reinstalling PDF995 software (it comes with H&R Block software) did not help. When I looked under Print Settings it showed PDF995 as the default printer. I had to change the default printer to my real printer and then I was able to successfully save as PDF995. I wanted to share this tip in case someone else runs into this issue.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★ 

 


H&R Block supports e-filing part-year and / or nonresident returns for:
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
District of Columbia
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Utah
Virginia

All other states require part-year and non-resident returns to be printed and mailed.
Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana and Vermont programs do not include part-year / non-resident forms.

Product review: Kit-U-Safe| 16 3-ply Disposable Face Masks in 4 Colors+ 16 Personal Mood Stickers, COVID-19 MASK

 

 

This package contains 16 masks (four of each in pink, blue, white, grey) and 16 stickers.  The masks have a nose clip and passed a number of tests I do on each paper mask to ensure they are reliable (more on the tests below). The stickers on the hand were disappointing - they are just paper stickers around 1.5" x 1.5" each. I suppose if they were bigger, they would make breathing harder. 

The masks fit comfortably over my face, do not pull on ears too much, and breathing in them is very easy.  I took the mask on and off several times while testing it, and the loops stayed attached and did not snap off, which appears to be a common issue with some of these masks.

I found five tests to tell apart fake surgical masks and real surgical masks and performed three of the tests.  Since the masks passed those tests, I did not do the burn test, so I would have to destroy the mask.

Here are the five tests to tell part real surgical masks from fake ones:

1. Light penetration
The real mask does not let the light through; the fake mask lets the light through.

2. Blow out a flame
You cannot blow out a flame through a real mask; you can flow out a flame through a fake face mask.

3. Hold water
The real mask holds water, the fake mask leaks.

4. Burn test
The filter in the real mask melts but does not burn; the filter in the fake mask burns with a flame.

5. Electrostatic attraction test
The real mask attracts particles; a fake mask does not.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.
 

Ali Julia review 

Product review: Cotton Face Mask Black Reusable Washable COVID-19

 

The package contained three cloth masks. The cloth mask's effectiveness is affected by the number of layers, material, and fit.
 
I liked:

1. The mask covers my face starting from the nose going well under the chin. It is not as deep as some of the masks I have, but ok.
2. The mask has two layers; the inner and outer materials are the same - appears to be regular cotton fabric. 
3. I run all my masks through the water test: I pour some water into the mask and see if it leaks or not. This mask does NOT leak when I fill it with water and hold for a few minutes. Eventually, it got saturated, but it took a few minutes.  This means it keeps my spittle in and keeps other people's spittle out of my face.
4. The mask is color-fast; when I washed it by hand, the color did not bleed.

I did not like:

1. The mask has no nose clip
2. The mask does not have a pocket for a filter
3. The elastic used on this mask is not the round gentle elastic, but the ribbon type elastic. It does push on ears harder the round elastic.

Comparison of mask effectiveness:
1. Cloth masks provide 30% protection
2. Surgery masks  provide 60% protection
3. N95 or KN95 masks provide 95%

When I go into crowded places, I actually double mask.  This washable mask goes on top of a surgical mask.  A surgical mask does not let through water, so it gives me additional protection against droplets.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link. 

 
Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Dove Body Wash Cucumber and Green Tea

I am very particular about scents and this was a bit of gamble for me to try Cucumber and Green Tea without being able to smell it first.  Fortunately, I really like how it smells. It has a very nice smell of freshness that comes from the cucumber scent, it also has sweet undertones that must come from the green tea.

The 22 oz bottle is pretty large, in my photos you can see on 1/2" grid for relative size.

It foams slightly (not a huge amount) but enough to feel satisfying, and it has some moisturizer. I like it better than Olay shower body wash, which has too much moisturizer and less foaming by comparison.

Ingredients

Water (Aqua), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lauroyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Acrylates Copolymer, Lauric Acid, Glycerin, Fragrance (Parfum), Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Stearic Acid, DMDM Hydantoin, BHT, Sodium Isethionate, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Etidronic Acid, Methylisothiazolinone, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Blue 1 (CI 42090).
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Fresh-Flare Body Wipes for Men Women

These wipes are generously sized at 8" by 12".  Even though the description says they are unscented, they are not scent-free. They a light scent.  I don't find it offensive, but I would describe them unscented.

They come foil wrapped and stay moist in their pack.  They are moist but not dripping wet. Each wipe lives in its own individual pouch.

They have a nice thickness and lightly textures (my photo that shows the light shining through it shows this well). They are strong and withstand pulling without tears. This is a well-made product. I am not ranking it 5 stars because they are pretty pricey and not unscented as stated in the description.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Fish Oil Omega 3 Supplement from Vimerson Health

I used to have very dry eyes, in the morning my eyelids would be stuck to my eyes balls and I had put in eye drops just to open them pain-free. In 2011 my eye doctor suggested I start taking Triple Omega to help dry eyes. He said this is the first thing he tries with his patients before trying more drastic measures such as tear duct plugs. I was skeptical but I started taking it.

Two weeks later my eyes were feeling much better with no other changes to my diet or medication. Fast forward 9 years, I still take Triple Omega every day. I use drastically less eye drops now. When I wake up in the morning I can open my eyelids, they are not stuck to my eyeballs like before. I am not a skeptic anymore!

In this review, I am comparing Nature Made Omega-3 that I have been taking for years with Vimerson Health Omega 3.  With Nature Made I take two Omega-3 capsules a day.

One Nature Made Triple Omega soft gel contains
♦ Omega-3 434 mg
♦ Omega-6 276 mg
♦ Omega-9 170 mg
total of 880 mg

One Vimerson Health Omega 3 contains (I am ignoring the Fish oil part of the capsule for this comparison)
♦ EPA 900 mg (EPA is Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids Eicosapentaenoic acid)
♦ DHA 600 mg (DHA docosahexaenoic acid)
♦ Other Omega-3 300 mg
total of 1800 mg

So one soft gel of One Vimerson Health Omega replaces two soft gels of Nature Made Triple Omega. At the time I write this review Nature Made Triple Omega is 150 gel caps is priced at $14.99 (10 cents per capsule).  Vimerson Health Omega 60 gels are $17.87 (30 cents per capsule).  Since I need two Nature Made gels, my daily cost is 20 cents and Vimerson Health gel is 30 cents.

The size of the One Nature Made Triple Omega is the same as Vimerson Health, I find them reasonably easy to swallow.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: GoGo squeeZ YogurtZ, Banana, 3 Ounce (4 Pouches), Low Fat Yogurt / grocery home delivery during COVID-19

Each box of GoGo yogurt has 4 pouches.  I purchased them in April of 2020, and the expiration date is 12/05/2020. Each pouch has 3 oz and  90 calories.  I like that they are shelf-stable and don't need refrigeration, easy to take them along when you need a snack on the run.  I like the strawberry flavor better than the banana flavor, I thought the banana flavor was a bit too sweet, but okay overall.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: CCbeauty Haircolor Cape, Gloves, Disposable Ear Protector

This set includes a mini cape, a pair of gloves, and a bag of ear coverings.

The cape is not a full cape typically used at the hair salons.  This cape covers your shoulders.  The cape comes down to my waist in the front, half-way to my elbow on the sides, and a bit below my shoulders in the back.  It is best suited for at-home hair color where you just want to protect the shoulders from accidental spills.  This is exactly what I wanted.  A full cape would make it more difficult to have my hands up while applying color to my hair.

The gloves are medium size. They are a little long in the fingers for me (I wear size small gloves normally) but fairly snug in the palm. I don't love the gloves, but they are okay.

Ear coverings have a rubber band on the edge. I found it a bit hard to make them stay on my ear, but I do like the idea of protecting the top of my ears from color.

This is not a fancy set,  but it does the job for at-home hair color.  I learned how to color my own hair during COVID-19 and this kit will make it easier for me.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap Refil

This is my first time purchasing the Basic scent of Meyer's liquid hand soap. I don't think it smells like basil, but I like its botanical sweet smell. I purchased a 33 oz refill and I am using it in a pump bottle leftover from another liquid soap.   The 33 oz jag is plastic with a conveniently large handle.  The jag is 5" wide and 7" tall (at the tallest point at the cap). I thought it was a good deal and I like the way it smells.

Ingredients:
Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Glycerin, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Oil, Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Seed Oil, Piper Nigrum (Black Pepper) Seed Oil, Fragrance, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Marshmallow (Zefir) "Sweet Stories" vanilla with nuts in chocolate glaze (loose, individually wrapped) / home grocery delivery

This item is described as loose zefir and I was not sure how many individuals candies I would get. I received 12 individually wrapped zefirs for $4.99, which works out to 42 cents per candy. The price on RussianTable.com is better then the price on Amazon even if you take into account the shipping cost (which is $15.75 for two-day shipping from New York to New England). Zefirs tasted fresh, especially since they are individually wrapped.

I fell in love with while visiting Russia.  I was introduced to zefir by Russian friends on my trips to Moscow.  Russian zefir can only be described as an American marshmallow as an approximation.  Zefir is made by whipping fruit and berry purée (apple puree or strawberry puree) with sugar and egg whites. It is less chewy than a marshmallow and has a lot more flavor, not just sugar.

The chocolate in these Zefir is excellent, zefir texture and taste are very good. The nuts make the chocolate layer thicker, and I thought the chocolate in that amount over-powered the delicate zefir taste.  I love chocolate but in this case, I thought there was too much of it. I have tried "Sweet Stories" without nuts and I like them a bit better.  But don't get me wrong, these are still very good.

You can find it on RussianTable.com by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Russian chocolate bar "Babaevsky" with Chocolate Filling / groceries home delivery

This chocolate bar is fairly small (50 grams, 5" long) but it tastes great. It is dark chocolate with dark chocolate filling.

I ordered in April 2020 and the expiration date on the chocolate bar is October 2020. Pretty reasonable. It tasked and looked fresh.

You can find it on RussianTable.com by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Cehomi 4Pcs Spray Bottles, Pump Bottles Empty Plastic Clear Small Travel Bottles

The spray bottles are 6" tall (from bottom to the top of the cap) and the pump bottles are 5.75" inches tall.

The bottles are cheaply made.  The spray bottles work better than the pump bottles. The spray bottles operate smoothly and generate fine mist.  The pump bottles work fine with water.  When I put liquid soap into them (i.e. a thicker liquid) the pump dribbled out content rather they pump out with force like a good full-size pump bottle.  To make a pump bottle operation you need to remove the little clip that holds the pump up.  Don't lose this clip!  If you don't insert the clip back or you will not be able to prevent the pump bottle from leaking while you travel as you need the clip to lock the pump mechanism.

Overall, the pump bottle feels rather flimsy, while the spray bottle feels pretty good.  Overall, okay, 3 stars.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Liquid Dish Soap Refill, Lemon Verbena Scent, 48 oz

I have purchased Lemon Verbena dishwashing liquid before, but it is my first time buying the 48 oz refill.  I thought it was a good deal. The 48oz jag is plastic with a conveniently large handle.  The jag is 5" and 6" tall (8" at the tallest point at the cap). across and  I use it in a dispenser left from another brand and it works fine. I purchase it because I like the scent and because it is a good degreaser.

Ingredients

Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Lauryl Glucoside, Lauramine Oxide, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Fragrance (Geraniol), Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Abies Alba (Fir) Leaf Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Methylisothiazolinone, Benzisothiazolinone, Sodium Chloride, Contains Fragrance Allergens.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Marshmallow (Zefir) "Charmelle" Classic (Chocolate Covered) / groceries home delivery

This box is described as 250 grams but does not state how individual Zefirs are inside.  Turns out there are ten. When I purchased it, this box cost was $5.99 which means the cost of each candy is 60 cents. The price on RussianTable.com is better then the price on Amazon even if you take into account the shipping cost (which is $15.75 for two-day shipping from New York to New England). I ordered in April 2020 and the expiration date on the box was August 2020. Pretty reasonable, and Zefirs tasted fresh.

I fell in love with while visiting Russia.  I was introduced to zefir by Russian friends on my trips to Moscow.  Russian zefir can only be described as an American marshmallow as an approximation.  Zefir is made by whipping fruit and berry purée (apple puree or strawberry puree) with sugar and egg whites. It is less chewy than a marshmallow and has a lot more flavor, not just sugar.

The chocolate in these Zefir is excellent, the zefir's flavor is not as good as the traditional apple zefir which is my favorite, but still pretty good.

You can find it on RussianTable.com by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Regency Natural Cooking Twine 1/2 Cone 100% Cotton 500ft

Regency Cooking Twine is a spool of 500 feet of 100% cotton twine. It is 1/8" thick. This is a 16 ply chef-grade cooking twine. The twine is unbleached and made in the USA.

This twine is strong and biodegradable. I have used it for cooking, however, most of my use for this thread is not for cooking but in the garden to provide support for tomatoes and cucumbers.  It is strong, soft, and smooth so it does not cut into the gentle stems of my plants, unlike the twine that is label as garden twine which is coarse and rough.  When new, this cotton twine is strong and I cannot break it by hand. It provides good strong support all summer. How the next year, in the spring, I noticed that the threads that were left hanging on my trellis already started biodegrading and I am able to break by hand.  The old threads go into my composter, so nothing is wasted!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★