At H&R Block, 1040EZ Is Free

摘要

As tax season gets under way, filers are being tempted with a deal: Through Feb. 15, Americans can visit a local H&R Block office and file their returns for no charge. No, the free returns are not a charity project, but a way to build foot traffic among early filers-many of whom will likely not be eligible for the deal anyway. That's because the no-charge promo has an important caveat: It covers only those filing the 1040EZ federal form, about 16 percent of Block customers. The 1040EZ form handles the very simplest tax issues. It can't, for example, be used by anyone who has dependents, makes more than $100,000 per year, is 65 or older, claims adjustments to income such as alimony or tuition deductions, of itemizes deductions.