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H&R Block customers face system outages just before Tax Day deadline
Waiting until the last day to file their tax returns proved frustrating for some H&R Block customers who experienced tech issues that began Sunday and persisted into most of Monday, hampering their ability to send their 1040s to the IRS before the April 15 deadline.
H&R Block late Monday afternoon told CBS MoneyWatch it had resolved an issue “affecting a small number of our downloadable desktop software users.” Those impacted “can now e-file their return,” the company said.
Those unable to file their returns electronically were earlier in the day advised by H&R Block to “try again later today or print and mail their return if that is more convenient.”
Reports of problems began at about 9 p.m. ET Sunday and continued through Monday before declining at about 4 p.m., according to Downdetector. Thousands of users reported problems with the H&R Block service during that time, the site shows.
The regular deadline for filing returns is 11:59 p.m. on Monday in a filer’s local time zone, although a few states have later deadlines. Taxpayers can also request an extension, which gives them until October 15 to file.
Some H&R Block customers said they received error messages and repeated credit card charges for trying numerous times to file.
“Finally! My return was just transmitted successfully. Now to chase them for my 27 attempts that I was charged $19.95 for,” one person commented on Downdector’s site.
The tax-prep software giant in February said it was appealing a Federal Trade Commission ruling that found H&R Block had allegedly marketed products as free before creating hurdles to push them into unnecessary and pricier services.
News
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Protesters reach an agreement to dismantle encampment
Protesters at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee have agreed to end their pro-Palestinian encampment following an agreement reached with the school, university officials announced on Sunday. The encampment, which had been in place for two weeks, will be dismantled by Tuesday, marking the end of what was believed to be the last standing encampment at a Wisconsin college.
University officials had allowed the encampment to remain on a patch of lawn between Mitchell Hall and a busy thoroughfare on the campus’s southern boundary, opting not to involve law enforcement. This approach differed from the response at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where police were called in to remove tents after negotiations fell through. Despite initial efforts to disband the encampment, Wisconsin-Madison eventually reached an agreement with protesters to voluntarily dismantle the camp prior to commencement ceremonies.
Chancellor Mark Mone of Wisconsin-Milwaukee stated last Wednesday that the university had exhibited “the widest possible amount of patience and restraint.” However, he also cautioned that patience was wearing thin and hinted at potential action by the school. Following discussions with the UWM Popular University for Palestine Coalition, the university agreed to advocate for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, condemn the destruction of schools and universities in Gaza by Israeli forces, and hold meetings with protest leaders regarding university investments.
Additionally, the university pledged to urge the Water Council, a Milwaukee organization of water technology companies, to sever connections with two Israeli government-owned entities, Mekorot and the Israel Innovation Authority. Chancellor Mone serves as the treasurer on the Water Council’s board of directors.
In return for these commitments, the protesters agreed to dismantle the encampment beginning on Sunday and completing the process by Tuesday. They also agreed not to disrupt the university’s commencement ceremonies scheduled for Sunday. In a statement, the protesters expressed their satisfaction with the agreement, stating, “After hard fought edits and careful consideration by the coalition, we determined we had obtained all possible benefits from the encampment.”
The resolution of the encampment at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee represents a successful outcome of negotiations between university officials and protesters. By reaching a compromise that addresses the concerns of both parties, a peaceful resolution has been achieved, allowing for the encampment to be taken down without incident.