H&R Block Selects VirtuOz to Help Provide Superior Customer Service Experience

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - 10/22/09) - VirtuOz, the leading provider of enterprise virtual agent solutions, today announced that H&R Block has selected the VirtuOz service-agent solution to provide automated guided support on the H&R Block website. The virtual agent will proactively interact with customers to find personalized solutions specific to their needs. "Providing our customers the best possible user-experience is a key imperative for us," commented David Wiley, Vice President of Tax Service Support. "We already offer strong search capabilities on our website, but there are a variety of questions clients have that require personalized interaction. We wanted to offer a higher level of service, so we chose the VirtuOz Virtual Agent to proactively ensure clients are guided to personalized answers that are relevant to them."The VirtuOz Virtual Agents are designed to help companies with their service or sales needs. These intelligent and engaging SaaS computer programs interact with users, interpret their input and programmatically guide them towards resolution of their specific issues. The path users take will be based on the answers they give and the specific business logic programmed by H&R Block. The agents will gather information from users, and based on their input, can clarify what customers want, ask for additional data, suggest a solution, or pass them on to a live H&R Block customer service representative, if necessary."H&R Block is a company that is committed to a superior user experience for its customers," stated Co-Founder and CEO, Alexandre Lebrun. "Their decision to engage customers with intelligent automated chat will not only help resolve user issues faster, but it will also help reduce the number of questions being submitted to H&R Block customer support."About H&R BlockH&R Block Inc. (NYSE:...
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Video: H&R Block Helps Prepare Teens to be Financially Fit in the Real World

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Although parents say they understand the importance of talking to their kids about money, teenagers are not learning what they need to be financially fit for the real world. A recent survey reveals that nearly 80 percent of parents feel it is very important to discuss personal finance with their teenagers, but when tested on their own knowledge of personal financial management, only 23 percent of the parents passed.(1) Research also shows that 50 percent of high school seniors received a grade of "F" when their general financial knowledge was put to the test.(2) To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/hrblock/39268/(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091013/NY91786 )To increase teens' financial fitness and help them prepare for life after high school, H&R Block is donating more than $1 million in personal finance curriculum grants to high schools nationwide. Offered through its H&R Block Dollars & Sense(TM) program, the grants provide interactive software and lesson plans that assist teachers with personal finance instruction. The curriculum allows teens to experience real-life situations without real-life consequences. In addition to curriculum grants, H&R Block Dollars & Sense will offer college scholarships and online advice from a financial psychologist, Dr. Brad Klontz....
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H&R Block Salutes Military Heroes With Six Tax Tips

KANSAS CITY, MO--(Marketwire - 11/09/09) - Taxes may be the furthest things from the minds of our military as they serve in remote areas around the world. But distance and time can add to the complexity of tax issues. H&R Block (NYSE:HRB - News) offers six answers to commonly asked tax questions from those in uniform. 1. I'm serving in a combat zone. What's my tax deadline?The IRS grants extra time to file returns, request refunds or even pay taxes due. The extension is:1) The period of time served in a combat zone, plus2) Any continuous time outside the U.S. you were hospitalized for injuries sustained in a combat zone, plus3) 180 days.For example, for soldiers whose duty in Iraq ends Dec. 31, 2009, their 2009 tax return is due Dec. 12, 2010 -- 180 days after their last day of service and after the usual tax return filing due date of April 15, 2010.2. I'm active military but not in a combat zone. What's my 2009 tax filing deadline?The tax filing deadline is April 15, 2010. If you can't file your return by then, you can apply for a six-month extension. However, an extension to file is not an extension to pay. To avoid late fees and interest, you must estimate your taxes owed and submit any balance due, along with your extension form.If you're on a tour of duty outside the...
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Ten Ways To Audit Proof Your Tax Return

Except for tax protestors, no one wants to fight with the Internal Revenue Service. That's why there's such a mystique about avoiding an audit. While what-triggers-an-audit theories abound, there are some basic things you can do to reduce your chances of being picked for an audit or at least to make any interactions with the IRS less traumatic. My advice doesn't come with a guarantee, but it's better than a Ouija board. 1. Don't claim flaky deductions Uttered by Judge Learned Hand in 1934, this may be the most famous iteration of the taxpayer's role:"Any one may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which will best pay the Treasury; there is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes." Helvering v. Gregory, 69 F.2d 809, 810 (2d Cir. 1934).So don't be scared to take deductions and losses you're entitled to, but don't take tax positions you aren't comfortable defending. If you take reasonable tax positions, you'll likely find you won't end up needing to defend them. And if you do face an audit, it will likely be far easier. There are many old wives tales saying that certain items trigger an audit: home office deductions, passive losses, schedule C (sole proprietorship) activities, etc. You can't predict the trigger (and you can drive yourself crazy trying), but you can adopt the "be reasonable" mantra about every item on your return, including these. So if you don't have a decent claim for a home office, don't claim it. If your money-losing sole proprietorship is really more a fun hobby, treat it as such. (For more on the IRS and hobbies click here.) 2. Use a pro, or use software. Some argue a return prepared by a professional is less likely to be audited, but there's little reliable data to support it. Nevertheless, having a professional prepare your return...
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New Law Spells Tax Relief for More Homeowners

KANSAS CITY, MO--(Marketwire - 11/16/09) - More American homebuyers will get tax relief thanks to changes made to the First-Time Homebuyer Credit. H&R Block (NYSE:HRB - News) advises the popular credit is now more accessible to existing homeowners and first-time homebuyers in three ways: � 1. Through a tax credit worth up to $6,500 for existing homeowners in the market for a new home. 2. Through a new closing deadline of April 30, 2010 -- extended from Nov. 30, 2009 -- for the $8,000 First-Time Homebuyer Credit. Also, a special provision gives taxpayers two extra months to close if they've entered into a contract by April 30, 2010. 3. By increased phase-out limits that start at $125,000 for singles and $225,000 for married filing jointly -- up from $75,000 and $125,000 respectively. The new limits apply to homes purchased after Nov. 6, 2009. Under the new requirements, an estimated 2 million Americans are expected to claim the tax benefit.* The IRS estimates 1.4 million people have already claimed earlier versions of the First-Time Homebuyer Credit."From seniors looking to downsize, to families wanting to move, to those shopping for their first home, this credit paves the way for more people to positively impact their taxes through the benefits of homeownership," said Amy McAnarney, executive director of The Tax Institute at H&R Block.Existing homeowners must have owned and lived in their current home continuously for five of the last eight years to claim the credit of up to $6,500. Taxpayers must close on the ...
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