This post is sponsored by H&R Block but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
When I turn the calendar to April, two things come to mind every year — spring cleaning and taxes.
One is optional in my book. The other, is not :)
In case you’re worried that I’m skipping out on my taxes, let me assure you, it’s cleaning that I don’t always accomplish. I figure the four little humans I keep alive every day give me some leeway when it comes to the dust bunnies.
But taxes, they’re a must.
Just because taxes take priority each April doesn’t mean they are an easy to-do. Taxes take time and organization. And our taxes aren’t exactly straightforward thanks to my blogging and freelance income. In past years I’ve handed Dominic a random stack of papers and receipts that I’ve stuffed in an envelope and wished him well, but it’s always our goal to mutually contribute to the management of our finances. So this last year I’ve been upping my tax prep game so he doesn’t have to fly solo. You guys, I have a whole spreadsheet for tracking my mileage! Go me!
To simplify our tax preparation this year, I hopped online and scheduled an appointment at our local H&R Block. The process was so easy and super-fast. I even got to choose our tax pro!
Side note – I’m not a phone person at all. I worked for years in college admissions and made phone calls all day long, thus meeting my lifelong phone call quota. If I can avoid making a call, I do. Needless to say, I loved that H&R Block let me set everything up online. I chose a location near me, date and time of the appointment, and the tax pro I wanted to meet with. Yes, even though we live in a small town, there was a great team of tax pros to choose from with varying degrees of experience and tax expertise, all H&R Block trained and certified. Another H&R Block perk? You get your price up front, before you start. More years than not, we owe on taxes, so being able to budget the cost of filing is always helpful in planning our spring cash flow.
Since our taxes have some extra factors thanks to my income, we really wanted to meet with someone in person. And with the new tax laws it just seemed smart to receive guidance face-to-face with a professional versus guessing (and maybe/probably squabbling) on our own. We chose a pro with small business knowledge (and 19 years of tax prep experience!) since that’s the most unique part of our tax situation and she proved to be a real gem! She went as far as to help us calculate the square footage of my home office! And she had lollipops for the kids too :)
We rolled into our appointment and even though the kids joined us (a Friday night appointment didn’t really lend itself well to finding a babysitter!) we were in and out in just 90 minutes. That’s quite efficient for both personal and business taxes! Our H&R Block tax pro was super on top of it. My stack of 1099s didn’t faze her one bit. And Dominic, being the analytical one of our duo, was pleased with her detailed responses to each of his questions.
It’s never fun to have taxes looming overhead, so we are sure relieved to have them done and done well. Thank you, H&R Block for helping us get on with the more fun things about spring — like gardening and family hikes and picnics in the sunshine!
Are taxes on your to do list right now?
Schedule your appointment with H&R Block today!
