tax professional

receptionist

associate team leader

tax associate

tax preparer

H&R Block

What is the best part of working at the company?
1. Helping People
• You get to make a real difference in clients’ lives by helping them navigate something that can be confusing or stressful.
• Many clients are grateful, especially when you help them get a refund or solve a tricky tax issue.
2. Learning & Growth
• You gain valuable knowledge about tax law, financial literacy, and client service.
• H&R Block offers training and certifications that can boost your career, even beyond tax season.
3. Flexible & Seasonal Work
• The seasonal nature of the job can be ideal if you’re looking for part-time or temporary work.
• You often have flexibility in scheduling, especially outside of peak season.
4. Team Environment
• Many offices have a supportive, family-like atmosphere. You get to work with people who are also passionate about helping others.
• Sharing tips and stories with coworkers can make the busy season more enjoyable.
5. Building Relationships
• You often see repeat clients year after year, which helps build trust and rapport.


What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The pay is the worse  especially when they cut your pay and salary and you depend on it and it’s stressful knowing you have been working hard during a stressful and demanding season just to get a pay cut and  have to start looking for a new job or career… Working for H&R Block as a Pre-Season Tax Professional can be rewarding, but it also comes with its share of stressors. Based on what I know it’s a lot of 
1. High Volume During Tax Season
• The workload can spike dramatically during peak tax season (January to April), leading to long hours and back-to-back appointments.
• Managing multiple clients with varying levels of tax knowledge and documentation can be mentally exhausting.
2. Client Expectations & Pressure
• Clients often expect fast, accurate results and may not understand the complexities of tax law.
• Handling frustrated or anxious clients—especially those facing unexpected tax bills or audits—can be emotionally taxing.
3. Keeping Up with Tax Law Changes
• Tax laws change frequently, and staying updated is crucial. This requires ongoing training and adaptability.
• Mistakes due to outdated knowledge can have serious consequences for both the client and the preparer.
4. Technology & Software Challenges
• Learning and navigating H&R Block’s proprietary tax software can be tricky, especially for new or seasonal employees.
• Technical glitches or system downtime during busy periods can add to the stress.
5. Meeting Performance Metrics
• There may be pressure to meet certain quotas or performance goals, such as the number of returns completed or client satisfaction scores.
6. Limited Time for Each Client
• Appointments are often scheduled back-to-back, leaving little time for breaks or thorough review, which can increase the risk of errors.


What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Client-Focused: The atmosphere is often fast-paced, especially during tax season, with a strong emphasis on customer service and accuracy.
• Team-Oriented: Offices tend to foster collaboration among tax professionals, receptionists, and managers. Many employees describe their teams as supportive and helpful.
• Professional Yet Friendly: While professionalism is key, there's usually a relaxed and approachable vibe, especially in smaller offices where coworkers get to know each other well.
• Seasonal Hustle: During peak months, the environment can be intense with long hours and high client volume. Off-season tends to be quieter and more flexible.
Company Culture
• Training & Development: H&R Block invests in training through its Tax School and continuing education programs, which many employees appreciate.
• Client Empowerment: The company emphasizes helping clients understand their taxes, not just filing them—this educational approach is a core part of the culture.
• Diversity & Inclusion: H&R Block promotes a diverse workplace and has initiatives aimed at creating an inclusive environment.
• Community Engagement: Many locations participate in local outreach and volunteer efforts, aligning with the company’s mission to make a positive impact.


What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Morning: Getting Started
• Clock In & Prep: Arrive at the office, check your schedule for the day, and prepare your workstation.
• Review Appointments: Go over the client list for the day, review any notes or documents from previous visits, and ensure you’re ready for each session.

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🧾 Midday: Client Appointments & Tax Prep
• Client Meetings: Sit down with clients to review their tax documents, ask questions, and begin preparing their returns.
• Data Entry & Analysis: Input information into H&R Block’s tax software, verify accuracy, and look for deductions or credits.
• Consultation & Education: Explain tax outcomes to clients, answer questions, and offer advice on future tax planning.
• Team Collaboration: Check in with coworkers or managers if you need help with complex returns or unusual tax situations.

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☕ Breaks & Downtime
• You might get short breaks between appointments to grab a snack, catch up on emails, or review tax law updates.
• During slower periods, you may help with walk-ins, assist with office tasks, or continue training modules.

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🌇 Evening: Wrapping Up
• Final Appointments: Finish up any late-day clients or follow-ups.
• Documentation & Filing: Ensure all returns are properly filed and documented.
• Debrief & Prep for Tomorrow: Review what went well, note any issues, and prepare for the next day.

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🧠 Ongoing Learning
• You may spend time reviewing new tax law changes, completing training modules, or attending team meetings to stay sharp and compliant.

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💬 What Makes It Unique
• Every day is different depending on the clients you meet.
• You get to use both technical skills and people skills.
• There’s a strong sense of teamwork, especially during busy times.

Seasonal job. I recommend it to homemakers with kids already in school. Or for retirees.  Then return year after year,  and have returning client's. 

Try to find an office with tax preparers that have been there a long time. A very experienced senior tax associate can help and guide you to becoming a fantastic tax pro. If you have seasoned individuals one of whom is also the office manager then you can create an awesome work environment

This job is a great fit for those looking for a seasonal job. I recommend it to homemakers with kids already in school. Or for retired folks that need to feel useful and productive.  And keep their minds sharp. 

They pay low hourly, but there is the possibility of a bonus at the end of the year. The way to really make good money there is to work full-time days, and return year after year,  and have returning client's. 

There are only a couple of ways for advancement:  either become an office manager, or try to get into the year-round office. 

In larger cities they become desperate for office managers and they'll advance a CSC/CSP (a front desk attendant/receptionist) with only one year of experience in the tax office, to an office manager. This is fine for making the schedule, setting up office goals, etc.  But when it comes time to helping a frustrated client that thinks their return wasn't done right, it helps to have a manager with tax prep experience. 

The area-wide boss known as a district manager can change from year to year.  And over the past decade it has become a position often requiring a retail sales n@z!. Customer service, and employee retention go down the toilet. This then speels over to the office managers who care only for sales initiatives. It's hard to take orders from someone that has no seniority or tax experience. 

Try to find an office with tax preparers that have been there a long time. A very experienced senior tax associate can help and guide you to becoming a fantastic tax pro. If you have seasoned individuals one of whom is also the office manager then you can create an awesome work environment. 

Other thoughts: 

People each year come in and ask and even anticipate that you're a CPA. It means they have no clue what a CPA is or the fact that they do so much more than just taxes. To become a CPA requires obtaining a bachelor's degree and in many states like Utah, even a master's degree. CPA's do not generally work at H&R Block unless they are retired. 

Clients will complain about the prices but there's nothing you can do about it. 

Also realize that if someone had no withholdings taken out of their paychecks all year, but doesn't qualify for any refundable credits, they will inevitably owe a lot of money, and they will be very unhappy and think you did something wrong. But it's their fault not yours. You'll also have people that don't realize they were considered an independent contractor (i.e. self-employed and not a regular employee) and no one told them they had to set aside money for taxes. They'll owe a lot of money, get annoyed and think it's your fault. 

There are only a couple of ways for advancement:  either become an office manager, or try to get into the year-round office. 

In larger cities they become desperate for office managers and they'll advance a CSC/CSP (a front desk attendant/receptionist) with only one year of experience in the tax office, to an office manager. This is fine for making the schedule, setting up office goals, etc.  But when it comes time to helping a frustrated client that thinks their return wasn't done right, it helps to have a manager with tax prep experience. 

First they tell you will only be preparing 1040EZ, the simplest tax return, but then you get thrown into the CSP (Customer Service Professional) position with no training. When you do returns they are much harder than the 1040 EZ returns, if you get to even prepare a return. I did not observe tax preparation, before preparing my first return, which was required as part of training so you could see how the process worked. I was thrown to the wolves(greatfully I know taxes). You are also expected to market and get your own clients. At one point the DM said marketing was the most important thing we should be doing. So HRB can give away $32,000,000 as a marketing theme, but I'm suppose to go out and market for them??? If your marketing $1000 to 1000 people worked, we should have lines of people trying to get their taxes completed instead of me going door to door like a salesman, seems like a failure in marketing. Also when you go out a market you get paid a different level of pay. The manager gets an email daily on the performance of the office. How much revenue was generated, broken down by product sold and all of this is compared to the previous year. So on a daily basis you are told how you are doing over last year, which is irritating. Issues I've observed in my opinion: You are to harass previous clients from the previous year to come in. If you can't get them to set an appointment, you're told that you are doing something wrong. No we're not - some people can't come to an appointment on January 20th, because they haven't received their TAX DOCUMENTS yet. How stupid is that - get on our cases because people aren't prepared to file their taxes. By law companies don't have to have w-2s out until the Jan 31st. Some people come in and you can see in the system that they have been visiting other HRB local offices - or as we say shopping around. They get their returns prepared then walk out, because they don't like the outcome or they ask a lot of questions while you are preparing and go home and do it themselves. At each office they visit they will change the scenario to attempt to get a bigger refund. I'm married, then the next time I'm head of household, then they have 1 kid then 3 kids. Guess what? When they walk out, you make no money and it looks bad against 'your numbers'. In my opinion, HRB sets me up to fail. They set unreasonable expectations - 1st years have to bring in 25 new clients. You're the lowest one on the totem pole, so they have no room for you during the profitable days and profitable times. You get resorted to being a glorified highly knowledgeable receptionist. People call in you get in trouble for answering and not making an appointment, then yelled at if you answer questions and set an appointment and they don't keep the appointment because they are 'shoppers'. How am I suppose to know? In the end, they are using me and I am using them. I'm getting all the training I can for $20, bringing in 0 clients (you sign an agreement that you can't take them with you or they will and can sue you - so make sure you don't really invest in a relationship with them) get the experience and work for a CPA firm or such in a couple of years and make some real money. HRB, in my opinion is ridiculously unnecessarily high priced and the caliber of people are sometimes questionable. Some appear to have woke up one day and decided to do taxes. It takes years and expertise. Go see a CPA who specializes in taxes or better yet, you can do it online through HRBs website. Their online offering, competes directly with the people they hire to complete tax returns in the office. I feel as though I am setup to fail, but I'm making lemonade from lemons. I just wish I could prepare returns, that's what I thought I was going to do and was hired to do.

I have acquired many faithful and wonderful clients over the last 6 years working at HR Block.  I performed all types of tax returns such as 1040 Simple, 1041 Estates, Schedule E Rentals, 1120S S-Corps (Small), Partnerships (Small), 990's, Schedule F Farms.  I use our IRS system to respond to IRS letters and help clients resolve their issues by writing or talking directly with the IRS.

There are 6 levels and I am at the 4th since I started working there in 2019.  The two positions left are Sr. Tax Analyst and Tax Advisor.  I chose to stay at the current level the last year to enhance my knowledge more on the more complicated returns.   I have learned the Block System for entering all types of returns, along with scheduling appointments, and calling clients when needed.   We have changed systems the last two years and have gone from database to a new cloud system which required learning a whole new way of doing our work along with still using the old system for more complicated returns until converted in the near future.  We are required to take 10 hours CEO a year and courses are provided through their program.  We do not get paid for IRS training, only training related to HR Block.

Management changes quite often which makes it hard each tax season to get used to a new lead.  When the lead is not available, the manager then takes that role until it is filled again.  There is high turnover at our particular office which makes it very hard to communicate appropriately.  When the manager performs this duty along with her own job responsibilities the stress in the office becomes higher.  Not my type of environment.

Workplace culture has been wonderful when working with my co-workers.  I have met and worked with very knowledgeable and talented people.  We share and help each other with tax associated problems and always tend to resolve them.  When new tax professionals enter the new tax season, I am always open to helping them learn and let them know I am available to help them. 

The hardest part of my job is having time to perform effective research on IRS letters and tax returns with not normal circumstances.  We must perform our work along with taking walk-ins and answering the phone during the summer months which makes it very hard to get planned work completed during a normal work day.  We only work one to two days in the summer and there have been times when I have planned my day, however, research and walk-ins have depleted that time and I have to reschedule my work which could be days or a week depending on my work schedule.  You are advised that you must take in enough money each work day to cover your salary for that day.  Sometimes that just doesn't happen if you have clients that need assistance with IRS letters or need other informational research.

The most enjoyable part of my job is that I have a great rapport with most all my clients and have gained great friends also.  I love communicating and helping my clients resolve issues such as W4 problems and/or IRS issues.  In the tax world you get many off the wall questions (retirement, sale of homes, sale of land, etc.).  I enjoy taking training to enhance my knowledge in areas for improvement.  I love a challenge when working on more difficult tax returns which helps me become more knowledgeable when I do the research needed to complete the returns.  

H&R Block is concerned only with making money, as any business should be.  They do not, however, believe in being fair to all employees.  

If you don't sell enough "extras" aside from the tax preparation, they will punish you by cutting your pay.  THEN your bonuses are based on how many returns you do, even though they may schedule you to be the "clean up" preparer who is there to handle walk-ins only after the more senior people have been scheduled to the max with confirmed clients.  There is an odd formula used to determine your bonus (which could potentially be more than your base pay) that, in part, is based on the ratio of hours worked to the number of returns prepared.  It is difficult to complete returns unless you are one of the "chosen" who is guaranteed to be scheduled during the high-traffic hours.

Advancement is based on taking classes (for which you have to pay for books, even though the classes are offered as "free"), but that advancement is only in terms of your title. Base pay does not necessarily increase; as a matter of fact, it could DECREASE, dependent on how many returns you do this year compared to last.  In theory, the more classes/certifications your receive, the more clients you should see.  Considering, though, that 95% or more of the clients (at this office, at least) are just regular 1040 returns with maybe itemized deductions, I think the "advancement" ruse is just a smokescreen to lead people on.

Everyone except middle management and above (as far as I know) are REQUIRED to take eight consecutive weeks off during the year.  Although it has never been said, I am confident this is so they do not have to offer benefits.  During tax season (February through April), you may work 40 or more hours per week.  Making you take the eight weeks off will keep you from averaging 30 or more hours per week over a six month period. Furthermore, while they may pay you more ($11.50 - $13.00) per hour during tax season, if you are asked to stay after to work "pre-season," they cut your base pay considerably, even when tax season is extended like the last two years.  To make it worse, they do not even tell you they are cutting your base pay; you find out when you happen to stumble across it (like I did) or when you receive your first pay stub and see a HUGE difference in pay.  So you are still making THOUSANDS of dollars for the company, but you are bringing in even less than before bi-weekly.

An example of the ratio of company earnings to pay (per employee) is $40,000 in revenue for the company (tax prep fees plus all "add-ons") ends up being somewhere in the neighborhood of $4900 in total compensation (hourly/base pay plus bonuses).  When spread over twelve weeks, that is about $408 per week before taxes.  The bonus is taxed at about 35%, so that throws a huge damper in things.  After taxes, my average weekly pay - including bonuses - staring with the sporadic work in January and ending the last official day of tax season (May 17), was $247.89.

In summary, if you want a job that pays little in the overall scope of things, or you don't mind working "clean up," or you just need a little extra income, H&R Block is right for you.  If, however, you want a long-term job with REAL advancements that will pay the bills, you probably ought to consider somewhere else. 

The only people who do any real work are the tax pros. Many tax pros have years of experience and are very good.  Co-workers are great. Office managers, district managers and regional managers usually have no tax experience and are fired about every 2 years. The sole purpose of office managers and district managers are scheduling, sending emails about how your performance isn't good enough, and complaining that you don't sell enough product (non-tax extras).  You will be expected to sell products like Tax Identity Shield although no clients ever seemed to benefit from the product.  Most managers have no tax experience and expect to get no help from them. Suggestions and any sort of criticism is expressly ignored. If you do criticize anything, you will be admonished for not being a team player.  Expect them to lie about you to their superiors to cover their incompetence.  People who start as tax pros are rarely promoted within H&R Block.  Corporate is filled with execs from places like the cell phone and car share industry.   During the summer/fall you need to take required, unpaid continuing education which costs you $30. During the tax season, you will get paid between minimum wage and about $27 per hour after you have worked about 10 years. First year tax pros should not expect to make much more than gas money.  You likely will not make much for the first 3-4  tax seasons and then you should only expect to make more if you have upgraded your job classification by taking even more unpaid education classes.  Applicants should know that this is essentially a commission pay structure, but H&R Block is very skilled at keeping the commission low. Full time seasonal tax pros should expect to work 10-12 hours a day  6-7 days a week.  Expect about 25% of your clients will be given to other tax pros because H&R Block makes no attempt to return clients to the same office or even the same tax pro in the office.  Expect that other offices will attempt to steal your clients. You will however, be told often that you need to build your client base.  About 5% of the very top tax pros make reasonably good money but most of these have been working over 20 for H&R Block. No benefits such as health, vacation, sick days or even a paid lunch break are offered to seasonal tax pro's.  Expect your manager to schedule you for up to 13 hours a day and expect them to completely ignore the commitment they required you to make in October. Changes in your schedule can occur anytime and they will rarely bother to ask you if you are available.  Expect to get 40 perfect client reviews, and 1-2 bad reviews (usually because the client felt the return cost too much)  and your rating will suffer because of it.   You will get terminated every year and need to reapply for your job the next year. H&R Block terminates all employees so that they can avoid paying ANY benefits. All in all, it is a great place to get trained in the tax prep industry. but I don't advise it as a career.

In a typical day at H&R Block, I have the opportunity to help people understand their tax situation. I ensure that both of my offices are appropriately staffed for the day. Every shift begins with a daily huddle where I make sure that my staff  understands our daily goal and where we stand for the current season. After the daily huddle, I spend a few minutes with individual tax professionals and client service professionals to touch base. These meetings provide me an opportunity to coach individuals on their product attach rates, net promoter scores, and find out if they have any questions or if there are any barriers I can remove for them. Due to the part-time seasonal nature of the company my tax professionals have varying needs to balance their work and personal lives. This presents some unique staffing issues, many of our tax professionals have limited availability or schedules that change rapidly. My goal is to ensure that my employees have a positive and drama free work environment because the general atmosphere of the office effects the client experience. The best part of my day is a toss up between developing my tax professionals and helping my clients to understand their tax situation. The hardest part of my job balancing my own work life balance. I love to help my tax professionals and clients so much that sometimes it is hard for me to disengage from the office and head home at a reasonable time. I also struggle with saying no when I am asked to take on additional projects or coming in on my days off. H&R Block has a high turnover rate at the district manager level. Working for 4 different district managers in the same area over 5 years has illustrated for me how important consistent management is to morale. The first year that I managed the H&R Block offices in Copperas Cove the changes that I made to the filing system and scheduling were met with resistance. This year the same team that was uncertain of me last year is very supportive and helpful. The general attitude towards management at H&R Block is simply that if you do not like how one person does something that they will be gone the next year anyhow so it doesn't matter. I strive every year that I work for H&R Block to change this attitude through teaching our Basic Income Tax Course, intermediate courses, and our Skill to Win program. I feel that by giving all of the employees a consistent positive person that they can reach out to at anytime we can change the attitude and improve moral. My years with H&R Block have taught me how to work with adult learners, adult employees, and how to change my approach based on the individual.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Flexibility in scheduling my hours, and the fact that I work 10 minutes from where I live.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Working with the public can be rewarding and fun, but occasionally, there are customers who can be difficult. On those occasions, stress levels are high. It is often difficult to help customers with difficult attitudes. Thankfully, those occasions are few and far between.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The environment is supportive and professional. The manager has conducted training provided by the company that ensures we maintain a positive, productive environment. In the five years I have been employed with HRB, the office where I work has had few personnel issues. The issues of which I am aware have been handled professionally. The  manager gave the employees several opportunities to resolve their issues. As a result, I know of only one person who was let go, and, in my opinion, due to direct insubordination, received proper treatment.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
After logging in for my shift, I check the appointment schedule  to see if any customers were added or cancelled overnight through the automated system. I have programs that I use for scheduling, so I log into those programs and contact those who have cancelled appointments and try to reschedule them. While completing those tasks, I check in clients as they come for appointments. I scan all tax-related paper, photo IDs, and any other pertinent papers. Once they have been scanned and information for the tax pro collected, the tax pro is notified so they can begin preparing taxes. The day might include walk-ins, so it is my responsibility to schedule them an appointment and follow the same check-in procedure. They have the option of "dropping off" their work and returning for an in-person appointment or completing a virtual appointment.
The number of appointments will fluctuate depending on the deadlines set for things such as loans or child tax credits, so the office is busier when tax deadlines are being met.  Many phone calls will have to be answered while these other tasks are completed. If there is a lull in activities, calls to prospective clients are made to schedule appointments. Other responsibilities include the following: keeping the offices clean, the restrooms and break room and front foyer mopped and/or vacuumed, supplies filled in the restroom, the copiers filled with paper, and any other cleaning that needs to be done as well as daily garbage collection which is placed in the trash can outside and rolled to the street once a week.

Working with clients as a tax professional is a fun and rewarding job. That's the best part. HR Block offers a lot of online training so you can become proficient as you want to be. But don't expect too much training help with anyone at HRB. You're on your own with training. They also charge a $35 annual fee to take their online training. 

As for clients, you have to pretty much on your own build your own client base. The tax pros who've been with HRB for years, who managed to do that, are compensated well. New tax pros have to use their own sphere of influence to get clients or hope someone walks in off the street and gets assigned to you. 

Systems and applications are prone to many failures. Quite embarrassing when you have a client at your desk. IT is of very little help. While you can submit support tickets for issues, IT seldom follows through with any actual support. You're mostly left to figure out the problem yourself or restart the app and risk losing your progress in completing the tax return. 

The biggest issue is management. While every district may be different, my particular district seems to have a management team of high school cheer leaders. None of them have worked as tax pros so they can never help with any tax prep  or tax code issues you may encounter. They seem to spend most of their time amongst themselves in their Teams squad meetings planning things like Spirit Week and baseball themed competitions among tax pros, shopping for food baskets for tax pro appreciation week, wear your jersey day, decorating and coming up with other games where the winner can win a free pizza. Are we still in High School? I left HS over 40 years ago. And just like HS cheer leaders they are a clique picking who they like and who they don't, bullying and back stabbing  the ones they don't like. It's so unbelievably sophomoric. You can complain to HR about it, but HR is there to protect the company. They'll do nothing for the tax pro.

Management is often unavailable or off the premises, due to meetings or being used at other offices.  Some employees sign in and take off without signing out and get paid for time they don't work.  There is sometimes culture clash with employees - and business etiquette is not always enforced.

However, the hours can be flexible and often the tax preparers are fair with you when they see you work hard to help them out.  Some are understanding while others act like they are the only people working there and that you owe them everything.  But there are ways to get around most of these types of personalities as can be learned by working at H&R Block.  That's one thing great about learning how to be patient with all customers (which includes your coworkers).

Pay rate is slow to increase as it is only forced to go up by law.  As is with the case at many businesses, some folks work hard and get few breaks - and others goof off almost daily and give themselves plenty of breaks, while manipulating weak management personalities.

When everyone clicks well, and everyone is doing as they were hired to do, the office runs very smoothly.  Of course, there are customers or walk-ins who will give us a hard time - but that is part of being a customer service rep.

There is always the risk of having some nutty person come in and try to annoy everyone with shoutouts, etc.  H&R Block teaches us how to handle such situations - especially if it can get dangerous.

Workers who speak another language (but know English) often resort to communicating with each other in their own language in front of the rest of the team.  This practice sets an invisible barrier between them and the the others who speak English.  It should be disallowed and only tolerated when necessary (i.e., a customer does not understand English well).

Often those who separate themselves from the rest of the group by communicating to their coworkers in a foreign language (at work) shout across the room (& over a number of cubicles where others are working and trying to concentrate on figures, work with customers, etc.) to their peers in their own language and carry on a conversation as if no one else is there but themselves (as if they were home instead of at work) and this lack of professionalism does not look good for H&R Block.  It also causes mistrust and makes those who do not know their language wonder if they are talking about them - or about stuff that no one should be talking about there.

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