Block Advisors, a branch of H&R Block, provides tax, bookkeeping, and payroll support to small businesses. For its tax services, you have the option of working one-on-one with a tax professional or handling almost everything yourself, with assistance available via phone, live chat, or video conference. Block Advisors’ professionals are certified small business tax experts who’ll work with you to determine the best solution for your business.
The plans are affordable and can be customized based on your needs:
- Tax filing: Starts at $115 for do-it-yourself (DIY) and $220 for full-service assistance
- Bookkeeping: Starts at $175 per month for full service
- Payroll: $59 per month for self-employed payroll and $79 per month plus $10 per employee, per pay run, for those with employees
We were unable to find online Block Advisor reviews from users. As a result, user reviews have been eliminated from consideration in our scoring rubric.
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Pros
- Service includes free unlimited live expert help
- Transaction syncing
- Import info from other tax preparers or pull directly from prior year’s tax return
- Year-round accounting assistance, including bookkeeping and payroll services
Cons
- DIY option unavailable for corporate and partnership returns
- No desktop software
- Unable to file unlimited amended returns
- Block Advisors only compatible with Xero accounting software
- No dedicated mobile app
There are a lot of quality DIY bookkeeping programs if you’d like to try your hand at keeping your own books. Check out Best Small Business Accounting Software for our top suggestions.
Is Block Advisors Right for You?
Which Online Bookkeeping Service is Right For You?
Block Advisors Alternatives & Comparison
Pricing | Tax Filing | Bookkeeping | Free Trial | Full-service Payroll | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Starts at $175 per month for full-service bookkeeping | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
 | Flat fee of $99.95 to $124.95 for tax filing | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
 | $300 to $700 monthly, plus QuickBooks Online subscription ($30 to $200 monthly) | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ | Additional fee |
 | Flat fee of $64.95 for self-employed tax filing | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
Best For | Learn More | |
|---|---|---|
| Small businesses that want to prepare their own C corporation (C-corp), S corporation (S-corp), or partnership return: Neither Block Advisors nor H&R Block provide a way for business owners to prepare their own business tax returns, except self-employed taxpayers. To prepare your own business return, we recommend TaxAct. | |
| Businesses looking for bookkeeping assistance with QuickBooks: If you’re a QuickBooks user and are looking for bookkeeping help from QuickBooks ProAdvisors, QuickBooks Live is an excellent solution. It will categorize and reconcile your books and provide on-call assistance. | |
| Businesses seeking inexpensive tax software with support from a tax pro: TaxSlayer is a less expensive option than Block Advisors and provides access to live support from tax professionals with the Premium and Self-Employed versions. |
Block Advisors Featured Industry Uses on Fit Small Business
- Best Tax Software for Small Business: Best for having business returns completed by a professional
- Best Online Bookkeeping Services: Best for low-priced tax preparation
- Best Online Business Tax Preparation: Best for choosing between a virtual or in-person professional
Block Advisors offers two levels of pricing: one is an option to file online with unlimited access to a tax pro, while the other is where you let a Block Advisor prepare and file the return for you. However, the DIY option is only available for self-employed individuals, not for those who need to file a corporate or partnership return.
Bookkeeping and payroll services are also offered along with a one-hour consultation, wherein you can ask questions specific to your business.
Self-Employed | S-corp | C-corp | Partnership | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tax Filing DIY Cost | Starts at $115 plus $49 per state filed | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Tax Filing Full-service Cost | Starts at $220 | Starts at $260 | Starts at $260 | Starts at $260 |
Bookkeeping Full-service | Starts at $175 per month | |||
Self-Employed Payroll | Starts at $59 per month | |||
One+ Employees Payroll | Starts at $79 per month plus $10 per employee, per pay run | |||
Personalized Consultation | $50 for a 1-hour session | |||
Block Advisors: New Features in 2023
Block Advisors now offers business formation services, which will assist with forming your business as a limited liability company (LLC) with an S-corp election. The process can easily be done online, and Block Advisors will work with the state and IRS to file your paperwork.
The pricing for business formation starts at $149, which includes state formation, basic documentation, and an employer identification number (EIN). State filing fees are charged separately and vary from state to state.
Block Advisors: Features
Block Advisors has a couple of very important guarantees that stand behind its level of accuracy and ability to help you obtain the maximum refund. Its accessible support makes it an attractive option for those who value exceptional service when working with a tax professional.
When evaluating Block Advisors’ bookkeeping services, we looked at its ability to perform bank and credit card reconciliations, generate financial statements, invoice customers and pay bills, and process payroll. We also reviewed if any customized services are available.
Block Advisors provide year-round bookkeeping support at two levels, Starter and Full-Service. Both give you free on-demand access to Xero, an online accounting program for small businesses.
The Starter plan gives you access to an accounting pro who’ll work with you to create an action plan. If you’re a Full-Service subscriber, you’ll also receive financial statements, such as your monthly profit and loss (P&L). Your accounts will be reconciled and transactions categorized in real time, and your books will be finalized for tax time.
Whether you’re a team of one or have employees, Block Advisors can assist with running payroll and creating and filing payroll tax forms. You also get a dedicated account manager who will assist you with setting up your account and answering any questions that come up. Prices start at $59 per month for the Self-Employed plan and $79 per month plus $10 per employee, per pay run, for those with employees.
Depending on the type of service you sign up for, you’ll receive reports that will assist you in making decisions and ensuring that your business is compliant. For taxes and bookkeeping, you’ll receive a P&L statement and a business entity structure analysis on a monthly basis. Your Block Advisor will also create a quarterly action plan, which provides specific recommendations as to how to achieve your business goals.
If there are other reports you need, you can work with your Block Advisor to customize them. Through Xero, you can access a variety of reports, such as an accounts receivable (A/R) aging report or expenses by vendor report. For payroll clients, you’ll receive monthly and pay period reports for review.
Your Block Advisor has received specialized training in small business taxes. They’ll take care of everything, from Schedule C returns to reviews of your P&L statement.
Block Advisors doesn’t have its own dedicated mobile app. However, H&R Block does offer MyBlock, a mobile app for iOS and Android devices, which is essentially your H&R Block account and is for users of the online version. Also, if you’re a bookkeeping customer, you’ll be able to use the Xero mobile app to access your Xero account.
In evaluating Block Advisors’ tax and consulting services, we looked at whether the service offers income tax and sales tax return filing, tax consulting, and chief financial officer (CFO) advice. Block Advisors offers two different options for filing taxes—DIY with a tax pro on standby if needed or have a tax pro handle everything for you. In either case, you have unlimited access and multiple ways to communicate.
To file your own taxes, you must first gather all of your documents. Block Advisors has put together a small business tax prep checklist, which will help to ensure that you have everything you need. These documents will help to answer questions about your business when you set up the software. Once everything is entered, you’ll have an opportunity to review the return before filing.
One of the best parts about working with Block Advisors is that you have free access to unlimited live help from a tax expert. The software itself is quite intuitive, and the navigation flows well. If you’re unsure about a particular form or tax situation, you can chat on-demand via video and share screens if there are documents you have questions about.
Once you sign up with Block Advisors, you’ll be given the option to meet with a tax pro in person or via phone, video conference, and live chat. They’ll work with you to determine the documents they’ll need, which you can either send virtually or bring to your meeting.
Your tax pro will then take over, completing the necessary forms and making themselves available for any questions. You’ll have an opportunity to review the return before they file it for you. They’re available year-round, and you receive the same unlimited tax help as is offered with DIY filing.
If Block Advisors makes an error on your return, you’ll be reimbursed for any resulting penalties and interest. To qualify, the error can’t be due to inaccurate, incomplete, or inconsistent information that you supply.
If you discover a Block Advisors error on your return that entitles you to a larger refund or smaller tax liability, they’ll refund the tax prep fee for the return and file an amended return for free.
Your tax pro has received Block Advisors’ proprietary certification and has an average of 12 years of experience. Not only are they available at tax time, but they’ll also work with you year-round.
For an additional fee, you can select additional support such as a year-end filing service, business tax audit support, and estimated quarterly tax payment evaluation.
Block Advisors offers Starter and Full-Service plans for bookkeeping services, available for self-employed, corporations, and partnerships. Both provide on-demand access to expert accounting help, a review of your books year-to-date, and a quarterly action plan. Your dedicated account manager will assist with onboarding, and your files will be managed with Xero accounting software, which you can also access on your own.
If you opt for the Full-Service plan, you’ll also receive a monthly account reconciliation and financial statements, such as your P&L statement. Block Advisors will categorize your transactions and your books will be finalized for tax time. For more information, you can schedule a free 30-minute consultation with an account manager.
Block Advisors: Customer Support
Whether you opt to do your own taxes with the help of an expert or to work directly with a tax pro, support is available via phone, video, and live chat. If you decide to file with a tax pro, you can meet with them in person at a location near you.
How We Evaluated Block Advisors
We evaluated Block Advisors based on the following criteria:
35% of Overall Score
Because each plan depends on many factors, we looked at the value provided in terms of the time and potential money that you’re saving by using the service.
20% of Overall Score
You should be able to access a dedicated bookkeeper for any questions or advice and one-on-one assistance.
15% of Overall Score
The best online bookkeeping service should offer a wide range of bookkeeping solutions, including catch-up bookkeeping, invoicing, bill pay, bank reconciliation, payroll, and tax filing.
10% of Overall Score
We evaluated whether the online bookkeeping service offered tax and consulting, and the scope of those services.
20% of Overall Score
We consider the opinions of users and the service’s ratings on various review sites. These criteria were disregarded for providers where no reviews were found.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Block Advisors is a branch of H&R Block that provides bookkeeping, payroll, and tax services for small business owners.
Yes, you can meet with a Block Advisor in your area in person or meet virtually.
Yes, Block Advisors offers this service for a fee that starts at $149.
Bottom Line
Block Advisors allows you to outsource your tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services. With the option of customizing a plan that works for your business, it’s best for small business owners and self-employed individuals. Block Advisors’ personalized assistance and accessible support allow you the ability to reach out for help at any time. Combined with its accuracy guarantee, it’s a great option if you’re looking for reliable and efficient support.
