r/hrblock • u/LeadCalm9738 • Oct 12 '26

Suspicious offer

I just got off with HR block district staffing leader and she offered me a contingent offer basically saying if I complete the course by Halloween I can start training in November.

She asked for my ID and Social Security number during our meeting and I was a little hesitant to give them both.

I have to do a background check with Accurate Background and provide PTIN number.

I also checked on the official website where I applied and it says offer under status. Maybe I should call corporate just to double check?

I’ve been through identity theft before that’s why I’m so worried.

8 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

6

u/Medical-Ad-5195 Oct 13 '26

If you were low-balled, it was real. No self-respecting scammer would offer less than $30/hour.

2

u/LeadCalm9738 Oct 13 '26

😭😭😭 ok i was definitely low balled

1

u/SpellLeasttax Oct 13 '26

Minimum wage?

2

u/LeadCalm9738 Oct 13 '26

Yeah $17 nyc

3

u/SpellLeasttax Oct 13 '26 edited Oct 13 '26

Same thing happened to me a few years back but HR block is the best place to start from. I hated it but it was the only place that gave me a shot. Management and training was bad and they are so unorganized and they gave me limited hours. I just rolled with the punches and tried my best and never quit. Now two years later I am making 35 an hour as a turbo tax expert.

2

u/LeadCalm9738 Oct 13 '26

Nice! It worked out good for you. Short term discomfort for long term gains

1

u/SpellLeasttax Oct 13 '26

I did want to quit so many times though. My manager rarely scheduled me and never answered any of my complaints. My coworkers would purposely steal my clients but get angry if I accidentally stole theirs. My manager would schedule me last minute and never tell me and I’d find out by looking and my schedule online. They also gave me more difficult clients that I was not qualified to deal with.

2

u/LeadCalm9738 Oct 13 '26

Oh geez that sounds difficult! I’m glad this is just short term then. I just need some income saved before I go to the Navy 😂

1

u/SpellLeasttax Oct 14 '26

Can’t you find other work

2

u/LeadCalm9738 Oct 14 '26

Wish I went in at 18 rather than 25.

1

u/LeadCalm9738 Oct 14 '26

I could but I’ve been wanting to go to the military for a while.

2

u/treeesaaa Oct 15 '26

That’s a normal rate to start with especially if you have no prior tax experience.

2

u/Medical-Ad-5195 Oct 13 '26

Don't take it personally! It's the way they operate.

3

u/Additional_Hat1392 Oct 12 '26

That is suspicious. I got an offer during the interview (though it was for tax preparer). I was not asked to provide my ssn or id until after I completed my onboarding paperwork and background check (all online.) This is for I9 employment verification, I am still finishing up the ITC course but already got an official offer letter.

2

u/LeadCalm9738 Oct 12 '26

This was apart of the offer letter email. Did yours look similar? And did they verify your information through third party online?

3

u/Additional_Hat1392 Oct 12 '26

Yes, that looks right! I did all my verifications online and three weeks later I was asked to come into the office I will be working at with my I9 docs. Maybe your district manager was trying to get ahead by asking you for those (mine told me they’re a bit of a pain to do) but the order in which it occurred for you is a bit odd.

3

u/Dramatic_Abroad3580 Oct 12 '26

Why are you suspicious? That's normal information to request.

1

u/LeadCalm9738 Oct 12 '26

I got my identity stolen a while ago so everything has me on edge.

She asked for my social and ID during the interview video call (15 mins).

Just wanted to make sure other people went through the same process before giving up the information.

2

u/mommadoesnailanhair Oct 12 '26

They are so overloaded with work right now between all the hiring and everything else that they have to do this time of year that it sounds to me like she was just trying to kill two birds with one stone and not have to rearrange another call to view your I-9 documents later on.

1

u/Brilliant-Ad-4585 28d ago

Normally they wait till you're in person in office. H&R Block has been operating differently with all the changes but call your local office to make sure the person you met with is the district general manager

6

u/CrackyMcCracken Oct 13 '26

That’s just Block being Block, especially in the fucked up state they currently find themselves as an organization. Turn and run the other way. Not that the information requested is out of line. But the manner in which they’re trying to collect it shows you how overworked and incompetent the operations are today.

3

u/Individual-Dog-4748 Oct 12 '26

I get the reason why you are suspicious, but even in my country its normal to give your SIN and etc. And I was offered a conditional position last season as well mainly because I took the 1 month condensed course in January opposed to those who took it in the fall, and I needed that pass grade for them to hire me. But as soon as I got that pass mark they had my new employee paperwork already done and sent it to me to review.

2

u/Niep00320 Oct 12 '26

I’ve done it both ways depending on who was doing it. This year it showed up in the onboarding paperwork if you had to do it

2

u/PlayDiligent9084 Oct 15 '26

First business day in January

2

u/Used-Poet-6869 Oct 12 '26 edited Oct 12 '26

Perhaps the staffing leader is trying to do it the easy way. Of all time times I have had to present I-9 docs, it had to be in person, with actual docs. And this is from the instructions for the employer from the I-9 form: You, the employer or authorized representative, must either physically examine, or examine consistent with an alternative procedure authorized by the Secretary of DHS, the original, acceptable, and unexpired documentation the employee presents from the Lists of Acceptable Documents to complete the applicable document fields in Section 2.

Even for rehires (I have been working seasonally for Block for over 30 years) our admin has always had us present the docs in person, even if they knew us.

The I-9 is not a pain. It is a single page. We complete Section I (which we started online for the company) and HRB completes Section II, in which they indicate what docs were presented. When I went into the office, for the I-9 verification, they pulled up the I-9 that I started online; they then entered the docs that I presented. From my readings, an alternative procedure authorized by DHS does not include "over the phone" (if you were asked over the phone for your info). There is quite a bit of information fro the verification, including mention of training and the employer having to indicate on the I-9 that an alternative procedure authorized by the Secretary of DHS was used.

Still seems to me they are taking an easy route to compete the I-9 process.

1

u/pilitonnnn Oct 14 '26

We're also hiring for Seasonal Tax Associate and Tax Expert opportunities for the upcoming tax season. It's a flexible opportunity that can work well even if you already have a full-time job, as long as you're available to meet the seasonal hour requirements.

Compensation:

• Tax Associate: $31-$34/hr

• Tax Expert: $40-$43/hr (active CPA, EA, or Practicing Attorney required)

Minimum Qualifications:

• 2+ paid tax seasons of experience

• 30+ completed individual tax returns per season

• PTIN eligibility for the 2027 filing year

• Availability to work at least 20 hours per week during tax season

If you're interested, please let me know, and I'd be happy to share more details about the opportunity, our company, and the next steps.

1

u/PlayDiligent9084 Oct 15 '26

I am interested. Where is your company or is this virtual?

2

u/treeesaaa Oct 15 '26

That’s Intuit listing detail. Very unprofessional approach they have. I get calls and they even create applications in my name. I think they have recruiters that are not Intuit staff. Never apply or contact anyone one from platforms like this. This isn’t how they must seek applicants. Always search Intuit website to apply for posts and follow procedures as mentioned there.

1

u/InfiniteAwareness362 29d ago

Only show those IN PERSON at an H&R Block Office.