Some H&R Block customers who waited until the last day to file their tax returns ran into technical difficulties that started on Sunday and lasted through most of Monday, making it challenging for them to submit their 1040s to the IRS before the April 15 deadline.
By late Monday afternoon, H&R Block confirmed to CBS MoneyWatch that they had fixed the issue that was impacting a small group of users of their downloadable desktop software. Those affected are now able to e-file their return.
Earlier in the day, customers who couldn't e-file were advised by H&R Block to either "try again later today" or opt to print and mail their return if it was more convenient for them.
Reports of these technical problems started around 9 p.m. ET on Sunday and persisted through Monday, easing around 4 p.m., according to Downdetector.
The standard deadline for filing tax returns is 11:59 p.m. on Monday in the filer's local time zone, with a few exceptions for states with later deadlines. Taxpayers also have the option to request an extension, which extends the deadline to October 15.
Reports have surfaced of H&R Block customers encountering error messages and facing repeated credit card charges while attempting to file their taxes.
One frustrated individual shared, "Finally! My return was just transmitted successfully. Now to chase them for my 27 attempts that I was charged $19.95 for," on Downdector's platform.
Earlier this year, the tax-prep software company announced its intention to challenge a Federal Trade Commission decision. The ruling accused H&R Block of initially promoting certain products as free, only to later impose obstacles that steered customers towards unnecessary and more expensive services.
