Customer Support

Updating H&R Block Software

 

Why do I need to update my program?

How do I update?

How do I update a prior year's version of TaxCut?

Can I update last year's version of TaxCut for use this tax year?

How do I determine which tax forms are final and which are not?

 

Why do I need to update my program?

Because the IRS and your state taxing authority change forms throughout the tax season, many forms included in the program weren't ready for filing at the time we initially released the program.

• We release the program with draft versions of the forms that are very close to what we expect the IRS to accept for filing. This means you can get a jump start on entering your data early and don't have to wait until all of the forms you need are ready for filing.
• We'll let you know if you have forms in your return the IRS isn't ready to accept for filing and when you can expect an update to become available. When the IRS is ready to accept your return, all you have to do is review the entries you've already made.

The forms that have not been finalized print with the banner: DRAFT FORM. DO NOT FILE. This is why it's important to update your copy of the software on a regular basis throughout the tax season.

You must update the software before filing your tax return to ensure that you have the final, approved versions of the forms. For more information on what's included in the latest update and which forms aren't final, go to http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/products/software/updates/index.html.

The latest update will bring your version of the software to 3102. Follow the steps below to check your version number:

Windows:

1. Open the software.
2. Go to the Help menu, and select About H&R Block. Version information is displayed in the center of the dialog box just below the name.

Macintosh:

1. Open the software.
2. Go to the H&R Block menu, and select About H&R Block. Version information is displayed in the center of the dialog box just below the name.

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How do I update?

You can update from within the program or by downloading an update from H&R Block's Web site.

To update from within the program:

1. Open the software.
2. Go to the Tools menu, and select Update The Program.
3. If there's an update available, click Update.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update.
5. If you're updating your state program, your federal program may be updated at the same time.

To download an update from H&R Block's Web site:

Windows:

1. Open your Internet browser, and go to H&R Block's Software Update Center at http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/products/software/updates/index.html.
   
2. For a federal update:
   1. Under the Federal section, locate the section for Windows Users, and click Download the most recent federal update for 2009 H&R Block At Home.
   2. From the list, select the product version, and click Download Update.
3. For a state update:
   1. Under the State section, click View Availability to check if there's an update for your state program.
   2. If an update is available, click Get Windows Update.
   3. From the list, select your state program, and click Download Update.
4. Save the update file to your desktop.

The format of the federal update file is:
HRBlock_[version]_2009_Update_[#].exe, where [#] is an alpha character and [version] is the version of the product you selected. For example: HRBlock_Premium_2009_Update_[A].exe

The format of the state update file is:
HRBlock_[State]_2009_Updater[A].exe where [State] is the state program you selected, and [version] is the version of the update. For example: HRBlock_Premium_2009_California_UpdateA.exe

5. If the software program is open, close it.
6. Double-click the .exe file. If you cannot find the update file you've downloaded, search for the file.
7. Follow the instructions displayed by the update program to complete the installation.

Macintosh:

1. Open your Internet browser, and go to H&R Block's Software Update Center at http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/products/software/updates/index.html.

2. For a federal update:
   1. Under the Federal section, locate the section For Macintosh, and click Download the most recent federal update for 2008 H&R Block At Home.
   2. From the list, select the product version, and click Download Update.
3. For a state update:
   1. Under the State section, click View Availability to check if there's an update for your state program.
   2. If an update is available, click Get Macintosh Update.
   3. From the list, select your state program, and click Download Update.
4. Save the update file to your desktop.
   The format of the federal update file is:
   HRBlock_[version]_2009_Updater[#].dmg, where [#] is an alpha character and [version] is the version of the product you selected. For example: HRBlock_Premium_2009_UpdaterA.dmg
   
   The format of the state update file is:
   HRBlock_2009_[State]_Updater[#].dmg, where [State] is the name of the state program you selected, and [#] is an alpha character signifying the version of the update. For example: HRBlock_2009_California_UpdaterA.dmg
   
   
5. If the program is open, close it.
6. Double-click the .dmg file.

If for some reason you can't download the update from the Internet, call the Customer Service group at 1-888-4TaxCut. Federal CD updates are available at no additional charge. However, a shipping and handling fee of $5.95 will apply.  Update CDs will be shipped after the final updates are released in late March.

If you have access to the Internet from a different location, you can download the update from our Web site, burn the update file to a CD or copy it to a USB flash drive, and then install it on your home computer.

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How do I update a prior year version of TaxCut?

To update a prior year edition of TaxCut follow the instructions listed below for your operating system.

Windows

1. To update TaxCut from within the program, open the TaxCut program you want to update. Go to the Tools menu, and choose Update TaxCut.
2. If you have problems updating using this method, complete the following steps to update directly from our Web site.
3. Go to http://www.taxcut.com/taxes/software/updates/prior_years/index.html.
4. Look for the tax year for the program you need to update, and click the link for the edition you have:
   Federal Windows
   State Windows
   Business Windows
5. Look for a link that mentions downloading the update directly from our Web site. Click the link for downloading the update. It may bring you to another Web page. Your browser will prompt you to save the .exe file to disk.
6. You will be asked to choose a place to save the file. Remember its location.
   Do not save the file in the TaxCutXX folder, whereXX are the last 2 digits of the year.

Macintosh

1. To update TaxCut from within the program, open the TaxCut program you want to update. Go to the Tools menu, and choose Update TaxCut.
2. If you have problems updating using this method, complete the following steps to update directly from our Web site.
3. Go to http://www.taxcut.com/taxes/software/updates/prior_years/index.html.
4. Look for the tax year for the program you need to update, and click the link for the edition you have:
   Federal Macintosh
   State Macintosh
5. Look for a link that mentions downloading the update directly from our Web site. Click the link. It may bring you to another Web page. Click the link for downloading the update. Your browser will prompt you to save the file to disk. The file extension will be .dmg, .sit, or .hqx, depending on the year. If the file you downloaded is a .sit file, please use StuffIt or a similar program to decompress the file after saving it.
6. You will be asked to choose a place to save the file. Remember its location.

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Can I update last year's version of TaxCut for use this tax year?

As with all tax software products, TaxCut requires that you purchase a new edition each year. Every year, there are significant changes in the tax laws, forms, and filing regulations that necessitate a new program be created. In addition, we make other improvements to TaxCut and simplify the tax preparation process every year. You can import last year's TaxCut information into the current edition, making the preparation process even faster and easier.

To purchase TaxCut for the current year, go to http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/products/software/index.html Or call 1-888-4TAXCUT.

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How do I determine which tax forms are final and which are not?

For more information on what's included in the latest update and which forms aren't final, go to http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/products/software/updates/index.html.

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Article ID: 12965
Date Modified: 00:00:00
Software: TaxCut Premium 2007, TaxCut Premium + E-file 2008, HRB At Home Deluxe + Efile 2009

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