I've been through the wringer with my taxes the past couple of years. Last year, I was a freelance writer for three different publications, across three states, with three types of tax documents. I also had two W-2s from two different employers. I also live in New York City, one of the most expensive cities in the world, with an astronomically high tax-withholding rate. Oh, and I was also enrolled in a university, which brought a separate slew of education-related documents.
I got off easy this year as I only had a W-2 (the most common type of tax document, which is probably what you'll use) to file as I tested this year's online tax services on my 2025 taxes, including H&R Block DIY online services.
Trust the Process
Although H&R Block has several ways to file (more on that below), I tried H&R Block DIY, which is self-guided and free. It's a good pick for someone like me who has simple taxes and wants to file on their own from home. If you run into issues you can't deal with on your own, it's easy to bail out and upgrade to tax assistance services, which provide expert support for tougher questions.
Over half of filers qualify to use DIY, but note that this is limited to W-2s and 1040 forms—you can't add on more obscure credits or schedules, as it only includes very common credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Student Loan Interest, and Retirement Plan Distributions. (Sorry, you'll need to upgrade to take deductions for donating deer meat or buying your business a guard dog.)
H&R Block via Molly Higgins
To file, I first gathered my W-2 form and related employer information like HSA, Roth 401(k) accounts, and health insurance information. I also tracked down charitable contribution receipts, work expenses, write-offs, and medical insurance information. I created an account and answered the basic questions like name, filing status, employment information, and other personal information. All of that only took about 15 minutes.
I ultimately went with TurboTax last year, and was able to easily import my tax documents and returns from last year into H&R Block's portal. All I needed to do was input my phone number associated with my TurboTax account, and after login and verification, the information was pulled directly into H&R Block's portal, which was easy and saved me a ton of time. (You can also upload last year's tax file in .tax format or a PDF of the return.)
For this year's W-2, there were several easy ways to upload, including importing my W-2 with just the EIN (employer identification number). Since my employer provided one, it was able to auto-sync my payroll info, which saved me tons of time by auto-filling and importing all of the crucial information. You can also enter info manually from the details on the form; snap a picture and upload to the portal, where details will be filled for you; and upload a PDF, where the information will auto-fill.