2010 H&R Block Tax Software Federal Program
Windows Edition ReadMe File

Contents

1. Getting Your State Program
2. Customer Support
3. Filing and Payment Deadlines for 2010 Tax Year
4. E-Filing Information
5. Problem Workarounds
6. Importing Last Year’s Return Information
7. Reviewing Last Year’s Information
8. Printing
9. Changing Your Monitor's Screen Area (Screen Resolution)
10. Viewing and Printing the ReadMe File
11. Keeping Your Tax Information Secure
12. Thank You

1. Getting Your State Program

Click the State tab in the H&R Block tax software. Then follow 1 of these instructions:

• If you purchased an H&R Block tax software edition that includes a state program, install the state program.
• Purchase a state program or additional state programs.

All final H&R Block state programs will be available in January 2011. Learn more about your state at www.hrblock.com/software/2010/updates.

2. Customer Support

We provide a variety of resources to help answer your questions about H&R Block tax software.

Help Central – This is the main resource for answering your product-related questions. In the program:

1. Go to the upper-left Help menu.
2. Select Customer Support.

If you can't find the answer to your question in Help Central, go to www.hrblock.com/software/2010/support for free support options, including:

• Answers to common questions about:
  • How to use the program
  • Your order status
  • Problems downloading from our online store
• Solutions to H&R Block tax software-related technical issues
• Free customer support options including chat and phone

Phone support – Call 800-HRBlock (800-472-5625) for free technical support on product-related questions.

Customer support services – For quick, easy access:

1. Go to the upper-left Help menu.
2. Select H&R Block on the Web.
3. Select Online Taxes Customer Support.

Program updates – Go to www.hrblock.com/software/2010/updates for the latest information about H&R Block tax software program updates.

You can also download the latest update within your H&R Block tax software:

1. Go to the upper-left Tools menu.
2. Click Update The Program.

3. Filing and Payment Deadlines for the 2010 Tax Year

• April 18, 2011 — IRS filing and payment deadline for:
  • Paper and e-filed returns
  • Paper and e-filed requests for extensions

    (The IRS extended the deadline this year due to the District of Columbia’s Emancipation Day holiday on April 15.)

• Oct. 17, 2011 — IRS filing deadline for an extension for paper and e-filed returns

4. E-Filing Information

The earliest you can e-file is Jan. 6, 2011. However, the IRS won't start processing returns until Jan. 14, 2011.

These tips can help you when you e-file your return:

• We recommend printing and reviewing your return before e-filing it. This will allow you to confirm you've entered all your information before e-filing.
• Update your H&R Block programs before e-filing. We'll remind you when you get to File.
• Not every return can be e-filed. The IRS and some state tax offices don't accept certain forms electronically. We'll guide you through the qualification process for e-filing your return.

5. Problem Workarounds

A. Downloading the update

To download an update, you should:

1. Set your computer's Internet Options' proxy to "Use automatic configuration script."
2. Use H&R Block's automatic update process within the program.

If you've done the above and you're still having problems:

1. Go to the upper-left Tools menu, and select Proxy Settings.
2. Click the Use the system automatic proxy configuration script radio button.

Or download the update at www.hrblock.com/software/2010/updates.

B. E-filing over a network requiring authentication to use the Internet

Users affected: Those who meet all of these conditions:

• You access the Internet through a proxy server.
• You enter a username and password to access the Internet.
• You want to e-file.

If you must enter a username and password to gain Internet access — especially from your workplace or school — you might rely on a proxy server. If you have an individual local dial-up, cable, or DSL Internet account, it's unlikely you use a proxy server.

Problem: H&R Block tax software doesn't support e-filing over proxy servers that are configured to require username / password authentication.

Solution: If you have access to another computer that doesn't connect to the Internet over a proxy server, you can still e-file your return by following these steps:

1. Install the H&R Block tax software federal and state programs on the computer where you plan to e-file.

2. Move a copy of your completed 2010 return file from the computer where you created the file to the computer where you plan to e-file.

   To do this, save a copy of your return to some type of removable media — like a CD, thumb drive, or another storage device. Then copy the file to the computer you'll use to e-file.

   To do this:

   1. Open your 2010 return with H&R Block tax software. Go to the upper-left File menu, and select Save As.
   2. Click the Browse button to go to the drive you're using to save the file.
   3. Click Save.
   4. Keep the saved return file handy for loading on the other computer.

   The name of your return file is a combination of what you saved it as and the file extension .T10. Ex: If you saved your return as "MyTaxes," the name of the file would be "MyTaxes.T10."

   You can also use Windows Explorer to copy your return file. If you accepted the H&R Block tax software default folder recommendation, the H&R Block tax software puts your return in:

   • My Documents \ HRBlock in Windows XP
   • Documents \ HRBlock in Windows Vista and Windows 7

3. Open the H&R Block tax software on the computer where you'll e-file.

4. Open your 2010 return:
   1. Go to the upper-left File menu.
   2. Select Open Saved Return.
   3. Select your return file and click Open.

5. Click the File tab and follow the instructions to e-file.

You can check your e-filing status only from the copy of the return you e-filed from, and not from the original copy.

If you don't have access to another computer with non-proxy Internet access, you must file a standard paper return.

C. Importing Microsoft Money 2007 or Money Plus 2008 files

You must make adjustments to Money first.

Users affected: Those who are importing information from Money 2007 or Money Plus 2008.

Problem: H&R Block tax software doesn't import all the information in the Money file.

Solution for Money 2007 and Money Plus 2008:

1. Open Money.
2. Click Taxes, and then click Tax Tools.
3. Select Export to Tax Software.
4. Select the tax year 2010 on the first screen, and click Continue.
5. On the second screen, select the categories you want to import, and click Continue.
6. Open H&R Block tax software if it isn’t already opened — don't use the Money link to H&R Block tax software. You can either close Money or leave it open.
7. Follow the Interview to Smart Import: Import Amounts from 2010. If you haven't already imported last year's return, do so before you import the financial information from Money.
8. Either click Get Started in the Financial Software section or, if visible, click Import financial information.
9. Follow instructions on the screen.

6. Importing Last Year's Return Information

To import your H&R Block tax software or TurboTax file from 2009:

1. In H&R Block tax software, go to the upper-left File menu.
2. Select Import Last Year's Tax Data.
3. In the Choose File to Import dialog box, find and select your 2009 return.
4. Click Open.

To locate last year's return on your hard drive, look in these default folders:

• My Documents \ HRBlock in Windows XP
• Documents \ HRBlock in Windows Vista or Windows 7

If you saved your return to another folder but can't remember where, follow these steps to locate your return:

For Windows XP:

1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, and then click Search.
2. Select All Files and Folders.
3. In the All or part of the file name text box, type *.T09 (for H&R Block) or *.tax2009 (for TurboTax).
4. In the Look in drop-down list, select My Computer and click Search.

For Windows Vista or Windows 7:

1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start.
2. In the Search programs and files entry field, type *.T09 (for H&R Block) or *.tax2009 (for TurboTax).

7. Reviewing Last Year's Information

To review entries you imported from last year's return, we recommend you review them from the Review Last Year's Data report. To display the report:

1. Go to the upper-left Reports menu.
2. Select Review Last Year's Data.

8. Printing

We recommend you print a test page from your return before your taxes are due. This lets you resolve possible printing problems before filing your taxes.

To print a test page:

1. Go to the upper-left File menu.
2. Select Print. The print dialog box opens.
3. Under Select what to print, select Selected forms / materials.
4. Select My Forms.
5. In the forms box, click a form to print.
6. Click Print.

If you have difficulty printing and can't resolve the issue:

1. Go to the File menu.
2. Select Save as PDF and print the PDF.

9. Changing Your Monitor's Screen Area (Screen Resolution)

To run H&R Block tax software, you must set your monitor's screen area (screen resolution) to 1024 x 768 pixels or higher. To change the monitor's screen resolution:

1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start.
2. Select Settings and then select Control Panel.
3. Click Display.
4. In the Display Properties box, click Settings.
5. Slide the arrow for Screen resolution to the right until it shows 1024 x 768 or a higher screen resolution.
6. Click Apply.
7. Click OK.

10. Viewing and Printing the ReadMe File

To display this ReadMe file later:

1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start.
2. Select All Programs or Programs.
3. Select H&R Block 2010.
4. Select H&R Block 2010 ReadMe.

To print a copy of the ReadMe file:

1. Open the document.
2. Go to the upper-left File menu.
3. Select Print.

11. Keeping Your Tax Information Secure

Since we take your security seriously, we offer tips to help ensure your personal tax information remains private.

When you prepare and file your taxes using an H&R Block tax program on an Internet-connected computer, the e-filing process transmits data in encrypted form to the IRS. So, those transmissions are secure.

We also recommend you take these security precautions for the home or office computer where you prepare your return:

• Activate your computer firewall and a hardware firewall on your network connection. If you don't, hackers might be able to see the contents of your hard drive.

• You might want to invest in anti-virus software for your computer. Though unlikely, the possibility exists that your computer could become infected with a virus or similar malicious software. This can give third parties access to your passwords and other files.

• Be careful not to download spyware to your computer. If you accidentally or unknowingly download spyware, you might transmit your personal information to third parties.

• Avoid installing Internet file-sharing programs used to exchange music and other digital content. These programs might make all or part of your hard drive's contents available to others. Such file-sharing programs include:
  • Acquisition
  • LimeWire
  • XFactor

You can also password-protect your return in the program:

1. Go to the upper-left File menu.
2. Select Password Protection and follow the instructions.

Also, you might be storing your personal tax information on the same computer you're using to prepare your return. If so, don't store this information in a folder that's shared or password-protected by your H&R Block tax software program.

By keeping your tax information folder and your tax program separate, it helps ensure that other users of your computer can't open and view your tax file without your permission.

For more information about how to determine and set folder properties:

• Check your computer operating system's built-in help files.
• Check with the operating system vendor. Microsoft information is at www.microsoft.com.

12. Thank you for choosing H&R Block tax software.