H&R Block Self-Employed Online

H&R Block Self-Employed Online handles all Schedule C needs for indie authors and offers the most extensive human-support network of any DIY tax software: live chat and video calls with a CPA or enrolled agent included free on paid tiers, a Tax Pro Review add-on where a pro double-checks and signs your return, and the option to drop off documents at any of 6,000+ H&R Block offices across the U.S.

Pricing#

H&R Block uses promotional pricing heavily early in the filing season. The Self-Employed plan regularly sells at a discount of $45 off, bringing the federal price down to $85 (regular price: $130). State filing is $37 per state, regardless of tier. Add-ons that can raise the total cost:

• Tax Pro Review (pro reviews, signs, and e-files your completed return): normally ~$55. H&R Block runs a free-Tax-Pro-Review promotion for new DIY paid-tier clients each filing season (the 2026-season offer ran through the April 11, 2026 deadline and has since ended); expect it to return for the next season
• Refund Transfer (pay filing fee from your refund instead of upfront): $42 extra
• Tax Pro Go (fully virtual full-service prep — a tax pro does your whole return remotely): separate, significantly higher cost

"Pay when you file" applies — you can start your return for free and only pay when you submit.

What Authors Get with Self-Employed#

The Self-Employed tier is the appropriate tier for any author with business expenses to deduct. Deluxe and Premium plans support simpler situations but do not provide the full Schedule C expense workflow. Key inclusions:

• Full Schedule C (business income and expenses, not just income)
• Home office deduction
• Business asset depreciation (Form 4562)
• 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, 1099-K import
• DeductionPro for donated-item valuation
• IRS Audit Support (guidance if you receive an IRS notice — not full representation)
• Unlimited live chat/video with a CPA, enrolled agent, or trained H&R employee (included at no extra charge)
• 100% Accuracy Guarantee and Max Refund Guarantee

AI Tax Assist#

H&R Block's AI Tax Assist is an OpenAI-powered chatbot available 24/7 within the software, backed by H&R Block's Tax Institute knowledge base. It answers tax questions in plain language as you work through your return. It is included across all paid online tiers (Deluxe, Premium, Self-Employed) and the desktop software at no extra charge — not just Self-Employed — but is not available on the Free Online tier. It supplements but does not replace the live expert chat or Tax Pro Review.

In-Person Drop-Off: The Unique Differentiator#

No other online tax software offers a true in-person fallback. Authors who become overwhelmed mid-filing can take their documents to a local H&R Block office and have a professional prepare the return instead. The drop-off service is a separate, form-based service priced by the complexity of the return — expect $150–$400+ for a self-employed return with Schedule C expenses. It is not an upgrade or add-on to the online plan; it is a distinct in-person service.

Limitations#

• No self-employed retirement account calculator. H&R Block does not help calculate optimal SEP-IRA or solo 401(k) contributions — a meaningful gap for authors building tax-advantaged savings.
• No QuickBooks integration. Authors using QuickBooks Self-Employed for expense tracking cannot import directly; TurboTax Premium handles this natively.
• Limited crypto and brokerage integrations compared to TurboTax.
• State costs add up. At $37 per state, authors with multi-state income pay significantly more.
• Pricing changes during filing season. The $85 promotional price is not guaranteed year-round; the regular price of $130 applies outside promotion windows.
• Trustpilot rating is very poor (~1.3/5 across 1,477+ reviews as of mid-2026, largely driven by billing/support complaints against the office/prep business, not the DIY software). Expert reviews from NerdWallet and Bankrate rate the software itself more favorably for 2026.

H&R Block vs. TurboTax Premium for Authors#

TurboTax Premium (federal ~$99–$139, state ~$59) provides a more guided workflow, QuickBooks integration, and better support for self-employed retirement account contributions. H&R Block Self-Employed is typically cheaper — especially at the promotional price — and wins decisively on human backup options through its physical office network. Authors comfortable with DIY filing who want cost savings and a human fallback will find H&R Block compelling; authors with complex business setups or existing QuickBooks workflows should lean toward TurboTax.