I'm so glad I know

[WhiteOleander]

I'm so glad I know where I stand in the pecking order here.

I have prepared taxes since 1995. I've been an EA since 1998.

I work in an H&R Block office. Our office has 6 EA's and 2 retired CPA's, as well as several other seasoned preparers.

I now know that the group on this board would not think I have any useful help or info to offer because I work for Block.

I also wonder if the owners of this board and their Tax Book are concerned that we are being belittled because of our choice of where we work?

[Eli]

Who belittled you?

I'm so glad I know where I stand in the pecking order here.

I have prepared taxes since 1995. I've been an EA since 1998.

I work in an H&R Block office. Our office has 6 EA's and 2 retired CPA's, as well as several other seasoned preparers.

I now know that the group on this board would not think I have any useful help or info to offer because I work for Block.

I also wonder if the owners of this board and their Tax Book are concerned that we are being belittled because of our choice of where we work?

Curious minds wanna know??

Eli

[OldJack]

What has Block got to do with your head? Around here we all judge posters by what their head and fingers say. As far as I know there is no pecking order... at least I don't know where I stand if there is one. Ok, you guys don't have to say it... I would be at the bottom.

[Gary]

What?

I work for Block and I don't feel belittled. What is your evidence that this board has anything against professionals that work for H&R Block? It's true that some disagree with some of Block's policies, but that is a different question.

gary

[Brad Imsdahl]

Curious minds wanna know??

WhiteOleander is probably referring to the thread started by Skate1968 in trying to get good clients away from H&R Block.

Inevitably, whenever the discussion centers on H&R Block and Jackson-Hewitt, there are going to be some on this board who criticize the company as an institution.

I now know that the group on this board would not think I have any useful help or info to offer because I work for Block.

I also wonder if the owners of this board and their Tax Book are concerned that we are being belittled because of our choice of where we work?

The rules on this message board are you cannot insult other posters. There is no rule against insulting institutions or businesses. If you don’t like H&R Block bashing, I suggest you defend them. I am not going to start censoring opinions.

Personally, I do not ever recall having insulted H&R Block on this message board. Why would I do that, when I learned how to do taxes from H&R Block. I took two of their courses, which were far superior to any of the college courses I have taken. Many of the other authors and editors I have worked with over the years were former H&R Block employees. Imagine that…the most popular tax books on the market having former H&R Block employees working on them.

How's that for giving your company a plug?

[New York Enrolled Agent]

Read the thread - "getting good clients". I have can see where White Oleander is coming from. On this board & other tax message boards there is a sense of smugness regarding the superiority of "others" versus HRB employees. BTW, I don't work for HRB - I'm self-employed. In my local EA chapter we have a good number of enrolled agents who work for HRB. They are as sharp as anyone else. I think everyone should follow the ideas posted by Old Jack. Compentent posts are welcome regardless of who posts them.

[veritas]

I took the block course

years ago. It should be a requirement for all preparers, CPAs, EAs, unenrolled.

[OldJack]

years ago. It should be a requirement for all preparers, CPAs, EAs, unenrolled.

Now wait a minute veritas... Are you saying that I should have to take the HRB tax course just because you thing it was great? Are you saying that since I didn't take the HRB tax course that I don't know what I should know about taxes? Well let me tell you I have seen some pretty dumb tax returns that HRB tax preparers have done in the past. (and there are others besides HRB).

[sea-tax]

I read the other post and did not see any improper things or items which one should take offense to. White Oleander I am sorry you feel this way. I know you have made some great contributions to this forum and it would be sad to see you not post.

I think Brad put it best. I for one agree with veritas that I to took the block course and it was great. I also agree with those that say in general the tax folk at the big name shops Have typically less time undder their belt. For the most part this is true from what I have seen. But this is not a slight on White oleander or any other block employees it is just the facts.

[WhiteOleander]

In the past months, there have been posts that imply that Block lacks integrity.

Some posters have said when a new client asks them to prepare a return with questionable things, they refuse and tell them to go to Block. Block will prepare anything.


Offering the RAL program is akin to theft.

And saying that just attacking the "company" Block is OK, just not individuals doesn't make sense. There are only individuals doing the returns at the offices.

I have seen some bad returns come out of all kinds of offices. But, I don't lump all that type of preparer into the same group and say they are all the same.

Some of the posters on this board are indeed smug.

[Black Bart]

White O and NYEA

...I can see where White Oleander is coming from. On this board...there is a sense of smugness regarding the superiority of "others" versus HRB employees..

have a point. You can kinda "tell" just from readin' the posts around here that HBR isn't generally held in high regard. I'm don't know if it's their emphasis on volume, flashly advertising, discounts, mass merchandising, a "cookie-cutter" approach to clients, RALs, or what, but anytime there's a related thread; they get beat-up a bit. I'm not sure we don't occasionally need a scapegoat to make ourselves feel better about shortcomings in our own practices.

Like Brad, I can't think of anything I've said, but I admit I've sometimes felt superior even if unjustified. Years ago, e-filing my client's paper return, a sharp young Block guy caught an error I'd made and sent it back to me for correction. Talk about embarrassment! Too, I've never found any errors on old Block returns brought in by new clients.

So anyway, maybe judge not...

P.S. Dear White O: Oh Lordy, I just remembered that nut I sent to you last week -- you know, the girl with 5 years SS, capital gains, investments, house sale who put it all on post office 2006 1040As -- renumbering the years. Anyway, I sincerely apologize for that (I swear I didn't know you were workin' at Block's). You just tell her to come right on back to me and that, contrary to popular opinion, you don't mess with such trash.

[Gary]

Cheating

I'm really cheating. I have nothing else to say on this subject, but this it is my 100th post, so I now become a "Senior Member".

Gary

[jainen]

This unfortunately is true

>>there have been posts that imply that Block lacks integrity<<

This unfortunately is true, but there have also been many posts defending Block. I myself have repeatedly praised Block, especially their policy of offering a full range of bank products. To suggest that Block will take dodgy positions is ridiculous. Block's attitude is generally conservative with only occasional forays into the mildly assertive.

I think Block is a great company. The two brothers created the industry we all profit from, and the company continues to build it up with massive advertising, new products, and new services. The only serious criticism I have ever made is that their pricing is high, which isn't much of a problem for a competitor. In my opinion their employee training is excellent, even at advanced levels. The also have some quality control systems that many an independent would do well to study.

[Black Bart]

There!

>>there have been posts that imply that Block lacks integrity<<

This unfortunately is true, but there have also been many posts defending Block. I myself have repeatedly praised Block, especially their policy of offering a full range of bank products. To suggest that Block will take dodgy positions is ridiculous. Block's attitude is generally conservative with only occasional forays into the mildly assertive.

I think Block is a great company. The two brothers created the industry we all profit from, and the company continues to build it up with massive advertising, new products, and new services. The only serious criticism I have ever made is that their pricing is high, which isn't much of a problem for a competitor. In my opinion their employee training is excellent, even at advanced levels. The also have some quality control systems that many an independent would do well to study.

Now that's a character reference any man would be proud of. And that boy, although a bit eccentric and a tad brassy (he, too, makes occasional forays into the mildly assertive), is pretty smart and not known for sparing the feelings of the unfortunates who cross his path.

[Oxtrainer]

Defending Block

I work for Block also and if there have been many instances of block defense I must
have missed them. I am on here 5 or 6 times every day to learn what I can. I probably
can't contribute much when Jainen, Old Jack and others are on but I can learn from them.

I have felt the sting of several of the posts in the last few months and was beginning to
think we came from the wrong side of the tracks or something. I have read more defense
of Block in this series of post than in the last year.

As far as Block errors I would suggest that the percentage of Returns done by Block
would leave a few.

Anyway maby some of us will feel now that we are not lone rangers. I have worked
for Block since 1997