H&R Block vs TurboTax: which is cheaper for your 2026 return?

Short answer

H&R Block is usually the cheaper of the two for the same set of forms, and it is the only one with a nationwide office network if your return goes sideways. TurboTax wins on data import and interview polish. For a simple W-2 return, both lose to free filing.

Option A

H&R Block

Tax software backed by roughly 9,000 physical offices, with a paid hand-off to a human preparer at any point.

Strengths

Typically undercuts TurboTax by $10–$40 at the same product tier
In-person offices mean a mid-return escape hatch software alone cannot offer
Free tier covers more form types than TurboTax's free tier historically has
Prior-year PDF import works across most competitors' returns

Trade-offs

Interview flow is less polished; more places to get stuck
Upsell prompts appear repeatedly through the filing flow
State filing is a separate charge on almost every tier
Brokerage and crypto imports cover fewer institutions

Option B

TurboTax

The market-leading consumer tax product, built around automated document import and a guided question flow.

Strengths

Broadest payroll, brokerage, and crypto import coverage — fewer manual entries
The clearest interview flow for complex situations like RSUs or rental income
Strong error checking before submission reduces amended-return risk
Live expert review add-on is integrated rather than bolted on

Trade-offs

Consistently the most expensive mainstream option once state filing is added
Free tier is narrow — one extra form can push you two tiers up mid-return
No physical offices; escalation is video or chat only
Price shown at signup is often not the price at checkout

Head-to-head

Metric	H&R Block	TurboTax
Typical paid federal tierAPrices move during the season; both peak in April.	$35–$85	$60–$130
State filing add-onA	$37–$50 each	$45–$65 each
Document import breadthB	Good	Best in class
In-person helpA	~9,000 offices	None
Self-employed / Schedule C tierEven	Cheaper by roughly $25	More guidance for depreciation
Free-tier eligibilityA	Wider form coverage	Narrow, easy to age out of
Mid-return tier upgrade riskA	Moderate	High

Badge marks which option wins that row: A = H&R Block, B = TurboTax.

TurboTax stops being expensive the moment your import load exceeds an hour of your own time.

The price gap between the two is real but small — usually $25 to $45 for a comparable return. That gap only matters if your return is simple enough to type in by hand. Once you have three brokerage accounts, a K-1, and a crypto exchange, TurboTax's import coverage can save an hour or two of manual entry and the transcription errors that come with it. Value your own time at $50 an hour and the cheaper product stops being cheaper. Below that complexity threshold, H&R Block does the same job for less, and the office network is genuinely useful when a notice arrives in July.

Worked example: Freelancer with $78,000 of 1099 income, one state

H&R Block Self-Employed federal: about $85
H&R Block state return: about $45 — total about $130
TurboTax Premium federal: about $130
TurboTax state return: about $60 — total about $190
Difference: about $60 for identical forms (Schedule C, Schedule SE, 1040)
Self-employment tax on $78,000 at 15.3% of 92.35% of net: roughly $11,000 either way

The software choice moves $60. Your quarterly-estimate discipline and deduction tracking move thousands — run the numbers before filing season, not during it.

The verdict

Choose H&R Block

Pick H&R Block if you want the lower price for the same forms, if you value having an office you can walk into, or if your income is straightforward W-2 plus a side hustle.

Choose TurboTax

Pick TurboTax if you have heavy brokerage, crypto, RSU, or multi-state activity where automated import genuinely removes an hour of manual entry and transcription risk.

Or run both

If your return is a single W-2 and the standard deduction, skip both and use IRS Free File or a free-tier filer — paid software adds nothing to that return.

Frequently asked questions

Is H&R Block really cheaper than TurboTax?

At equivalent tiers, yes — usually by $25 to $45 once state filing is included. Both raise prices as the April deadline approaches, so the gap you see in February is not the gap you see on April 14. Compare the total including state, not the advertised federal price.

Will switching from TurboTax to H&R Block lose my history?

No. H&R Block imports prior-year returns from a PDF, which carries forward names, dependents, carryover losses, and depreciation basis. Check the carryover figures manually after import — that is where switching errors show up.

Do either of them get me a bigger refund?

No. Both compute the same tax law. Refund differences come from data entry and from which deductions you find, not from the software brand. Any 'maximum refund' guarantee is a promise about arithmetic, not about strategy.

What about the free options?

IRS Direct File and Free File cover simple returns at no cost, and FreeTaxUSA charges nothing for federal with a low state fee. If your return is W-2 income and the standard deduction, paid software is buying convenience you probably do not need.

Methodology

Pricing bands reflect published 2026 consumer tiers observed during the filing season and exclude promotional discounts; both vendors raise prices as April approaches, so verify current pricing before purchasing. Tax figures in the worked example use 2026 self-employment rules and are illustrative — they are not tax advice.

Run your own numbers

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Last updated 2026-09-03. Machine-readable version: /api/public/comparisons.json. Free to cite with attribution to RevenueLab.