H&R Block customers experience outages ahead of the Tax Day deadline

2025-04-20 13:21:41 source: category:Markets

Benefits to filing an extension in the final hours of Tax Day
Benefits to filing an extension in the final hours of Tax Day 02:34

Waiting until the last day to file their tax returns proved frustrating for some H&R Block customers who experienced tech issues that began Sunday and persisted into most of Monday, hampering their ability to send their 1040s to the IRS before the April 15 deadline.

H&R Block late Monday afternoon told CBS MoneyWatch it had resolved an issue "affecting a small number of our downloadable desktop software users." Those impacted "can now e-file their return," the company said.

We are aware of an issue preventing some desktop software users from e-filing their returns. Online clients and clients working with our tax professionals virtually or in person are not impacted.

— H&R Block Support (@HRBlockAnswers) April 15, 2024

Those unable to file their returns electronically were earlier in the day advised by H&R Block to "try again later today or print and mail their return if that is more convenient." 

Reports of problems began at about 9 p.m. ET Sunday and continued through Monday before declining at about 4 p.m., according to Downdetector. Thousands of users reported problems with the H&R Block service during that time, the site shows.

The regular deadline for filing returns is 11:59 p.m. on Monday in a filer's local time zone, although a few states have later deadlines. Taxpayers can also request an extension, which gives them until October 15 to file.

Some H&R Block customers said they received error messages and repeated credit card charges for trying numerous times to file. 

"Finally! My return was just transmitted successfully. Now to chase them for my 27 attempts that I was charged $19.95 for," one person commented on Downdector's site. 

The tax-prep software giant in February said it was appealing a Federal Trade Commission ruling that found H&R Block had allegedly marketed products as free before creating hurdles to push them into unnecessary and pricier services. 

    In:
  • IRS
  • Taxes
Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York.

More:Markets

Recommend

US Open player compensation rises to a record $65 million, with singles champs getting $3.6 million

Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic and other players at the U.S. Open will be playing for a record total of

U.S. lawmakers want South Africa to face consequences for support for Russia amid Ukraine war

Johannesburg — A handful of senior U.S. lawmakers from both parties have sent a letter to Secretary

United Nations adopts high seas treaty, the first-ever pact to govern and protect international waters

United Nations — The United Nations on Monday adopted the first-ever legally binding international t