Tax47 vs H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes
H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes prepares and files federal and state returns. See how it compares with Tax47, a tax estimator, on cost, help, and privacy.
Disclosure: Tax47 is our app. This comparison is written honestly, including the places where H&R Block is the better fit. Ratings and pricing are from the US App Store as of September 2026.
Quick answer
H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes by HRB Tax Group, Inc. prepares and files your federal return, plus up to five state returns, on iPhone, iPad, and Android. It has been on the App Store since 2012 and is free to start. Tax-pro chat and AI Tax assist need a paid tax product, though, and the store page lists no filing prices.
Tax47 (Tax Calculator USA - Tax47 on the App Store) estimates your federal tax before you file: your refund or what you owe, self-employment tax, credits, and your taxes before and after the One Big Beautiful Bill (P.L. 119-21). It is free to download and runs its calculations on the device with no account. It does not file a return.
These apps do two different jobs. If you are ready to file and want your documents pulled in or a tax pro on hand, pick H&R Block. If you want to know where you stand before filing, or see what a raise, a new job, or a withholding change would do, pick Tax47. Plenty of people use both: estimate during the year, then file in the spring. Our roundup of tax apps covers the other filing apps and estimators.
Side-by-side
| Feature | Tax47 | H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS + Android | iOS + Android |
| US App Store rating | 4.88 (16 ratings) | 4.8 (115,600 ratings) |
| Last updated | August 2026 | September 2026 |
| Free-tier limits | Not stated | Free to start; free filers get 43 complimentary tax forms; tax-pro chat and AI Tax assist need a paid product |
| Paid plans | Pro: $4.99 a week or billed yearly; annual Pro entries listed from $1.99 to $29.99; 7-day free trial | No in-app purchases listed; a paid tax product and a Tax Pro Review add-on, with no prices given |
| Files your return | No, it estimates before you file | Yes, federal return with guidance at every step |
| Refund or amount-owed estimate | Yes, your refund or the amount to set aside | Yes, a live refund tracker while you prepare |
| State returns | Not stated | Yes, up to 5 state returns |
| Document import | Not stated | Yes, W-2 through your payroll provider, photos of tax docs, last year’s return |
| Tax expert help | Not stated | Yes, paid: chat with tax pros, or Tax Pro Review for an additional fee |
| Multiple jobs / profiles | Not stated | Not stated |
| Self-employment tax | Yes, with quarterly payment estimates | Not stated |
| Saved what-if scenarios | Yes, compare a raise, a new job, or a withholding change | Not stated |
| One Big Beautiful Bill changes | Yes, compares your taxes before and after the One Big Beautiful Bill (P.L. 119-21) | Yes, for 2025 returns, in release notes from December 2025 to March 2026 |
| Credits covered | Child Tax Credit, Childcare Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit | Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Credit, education credits for tuition |
| Export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Languages | 1 (English) | 1 (English) |
| Ads | App Store: none declared; Google Play: Contains ads | No, none declared on either store |
| Account required | No | Yes, you sign in |
| Data stays on device | Yes, runs its calculations on the device, with no account | No, it uses a sign-in account, and the label links Financial Info to you |
| Privacy label | Data Used to Track You: Identifiers | Data Used to Track You: Contact Info, Identifiers |
Where H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes wins
It files the return. Tax47 stops at the estimate. In H&R Block Tax Prep you review your return and submit it. It files your federal return with guidance at every step, plus up to five state returns for people who travel for work. After you file, it tracks the return’s status with email alerts and push notifications.
It pulls in your paperwork. You can import your W-2 through your payroll provider, snap photos of your tax documents and upload them, or upload last year’s return. The listing says that last one fills in up to 80 fields. The listing also names tools for investment income and capital gains. Tax47’s listing does not mention document import.
A person can check your work, for a fee. A paid tax product adds unlimited help, including AI Tax assist around the clock and chat with real-life tax pros. With Tax Pro Review, which costs an additional fee, a tax expert reviews your return, signs it, and files it for you. The listing also points to a Help Center with a library of tax tips. Tax47 lists no human tax help.
A long record and a large rating base. It has been on the App Store since 2012 and has 4.8 stars from 115,600 US ratings, plus over a million Android installs. Reviewers say it is easy to use and quick to finish. Tax47 launched in 2025 and has 16 US ratings so far.
Where Tax47 wins
It works before you file. H&R Block’s listing is about preparing and filing a return. Tax47 is for knowing where you stand before you get there. It checks whether you withheld enough from your paychecks and shows your effective tax rate. It also saves multiple calculations, so you can see how a raise, a new job, or a withholding change would affect your refund. And it compares your taxes before and after the One Big Beautiful Bill (P.L. 119-21), including the deductions for tips, overtime, and car loan interest on US-assembled vehicles.
Self-employment tax, with quarterly estimates. H&R Block’s store listing does not mention self-employment income. Tax47 calculates SE tax (Social Security, Medicare, and the additional Medicare tax) and shows quarterly payment estimates plus the deductible portion.
No account to create. H&R Block asks you to sign in, and its privacy label links Financial Info, Contact Info, and Sensitive Info to you. Tax47 needs no account and runs its calculations on the device. Both labels do declare data used to track you, though: Identifiers for Tax47, and Contact Info and Identifiers for H&R Block.
Pricing
- Tax47 is free to download. Pro is $4.99 a week or billed yearly, and the App Store lists annual Pro entries from $1.99 to $29.99. There is a 7-day free trial.
- H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes is free to start. You can prepare your return and use the app’s features “without paying a dime upfront”. Free filers get 43 complimentary tax forms, such as student loan interest, tuition and fees, Social Security income, and unemployment income. A paid tax product adds unlimited help, AI Tax assist, and chat with tax pros, and Tax Pro Review costs an additional fee. The store page does not list filing prices, and neither store lists an in-app purchase.
Reviewers say the app pushes them toward paid upgrades and add-ons as they go. A year of Tax47 Pro falls within its listed annual entries, $1.99 to $29.99. H&R Block’s store page gives no filing price to set beside that, so check the price in the app before you pick a paid product.
Which one should you pick?
Pick H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes if you are ready to file your federal return and up to five state returns from your phone, want your W-2 and last year’s return pulled in, or want a tax expert to review and file it for an additional fee.
Pick Tax47 if you want to estimate your federal tax before you file, see what a raise, a new job, or a withholding change would do, work out self-employment tax and quarterly payments, and skip creating an account.
Want a number before you open either app? Our free tax refund estimator and W-4 withholding calculator run in the browser with no download.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tax47 file taxes like H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes?
No. Tax47 estimates your federal tax before you file; it does not e-file. H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes prepares and files your federal return, plus up to five state returns. Many people use both: an estimator during the year and a filing app in the spring.
Is H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes free?
It is free to start. Its listing says you can prepare your return without paying a dime upfront, and free filers get 43 complimentary tax forms. Unlimited help, AI Tax assist, and chat with tax pros need a paid tax product, and Tax Pro Review costs an additional fee. Filing prices are not listed on the store page. Tax47 is free to download. Pro is $4.99 a week or billed yearly, and the App Store lists annual Pro entries from $1.99 to $29.99, with a 7-day free trial.
Does H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes handle self-employment tax?
Its store listing does not mention self-employment income. It speaks to students, investors, people who travel for work, parents, and retirees. Tax47 calculates self-employment tax, including Social Security, Medicare, and the additional Medicare tax, and shows quarterly payment estimates.
Can I get help from a tax pro in H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes?
Yes, with a paid tax product. You can chat with real-life tax pros, and the Tax Pro Review add-on has a tax expert review, sign, and file your return for an additional fee. The listing says tax pros and tax expert, not CPA. Tax47 lists no human tax help.
Do I need an account for Tax47 or H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes?
Tax47 needs no account and runs its calculations on the device. H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes asks you to sign in, and its App Store privacy label links Financial Info, Contact Info, and Sensitive Info to you. Both labels declare data used to track you: Identifiers for Tax47, and Contact Info and Identifiers for H&R Block.
Do Tax47 and H&R Block Tax Prep: File Taxes cover the One Big Beautiful Bill?
Yes, in different ways. H&R Block's release notes from December 2025 to March 2026 promoted its handling of the One Big Beautiful Bill for 2025 returns. Tax47 compares your taxes before and after the One Big Beautiful Bill (P.L. 119-21), including the deductions for tips, overtime, and car loan interest on US-assembled vehicles.