You should understand that the cost of preparing a tax return depends on its complexity, not the amount of your refund. If you had a very complex tax return and owed $10 million in income tax but you had previously paid the IRS $10,000,001, you would only receive a $1 refund even though your tax return would be quite expensive to prepare.
However, if you have no unusual tax situations, then you should be able to file yourself using TurboTax for less than HRB charged you. Most people start with TurboTax deluxe, which includes your federal return and one state income tax return. If you live in a state with no income tax, you can probably use TurboTax basic.
At this point in time, you cannot file online for 2019. You must buy a copy of TurboTax to download and install on your own computer, or buy on a CD to install on your own computer. Some discount retailers like Amazon and Best Buy may still have copies available, or you can buy directly from TurboTax. I believe the cost for TurboTax deluxe is around $75. Make sure you buy the 2019 version and not the 2020 version.
For the 2020 tax season, you can use TurboTax online, which is free to start. The final price will depend on the complexity of your situation and you will be informed during the preparation process if you need to upgrade to a paid version. Or, you could once again purchase the 2020 program as a download or on a CD to install on your own computer. The TurboTax CD and download for 2020 is available now, and the online version will open in mid December.
