H&R Block relocates to John Street

MILLERTON — After more than three decades behind the Brick Block Auto Parts building on Main Street, H&R Block has a new address: 1 John Street, Millerton.It shares the building with the Cole Insurance Agency, and there is ample parking.Linda Clarke is the franchise owner of the Millerton H&R Block; she’s been so for the past 12 years. In addition to Clarke there are two other employees working at the Millerton branch, including tax preparer Lorraine Williamson, who has been with Clarke for the past dozen years.Clarke is also franchise owner of the Red Hook and Hudson H&R Block offices. She said the move to the John Street location in Millerton should be the continuation of a steady and gratifying business.“I decided to move because of the [improved] location,” she said. “I think it’s more of a business atmosphere. It’s more private for the clients.”Catering to her clients’ needs is important — she had about 900 of them in her previous Millerton office. But there were challenges.“We had such a problem getting people to understand where we were,” she said. “And Millerton is so hard because of historical things. You can’t do certain things. It’s hard to make signs visible from the road, and people couldn’t see where we were from the road, so we were really out [of luck].”Clarke said although John Street is behind Main Street, it is still more ideally situated than her former location behind Brick Block. She’s confident her clients will find her, since they were able to find her previously, although with some difficulty. And that’s with customers making the trip from around the Tri-state region.“I have customers from anywhere within the 50-mile radius, including Connecticut and Massachusetts — the whole area,” she said. “The majority of my customers are from New York and Connecticut, I would say.”Wherever they come from, those who make appointments, or even just stop by, to have their taxes done can expect top-notch service, Clarke said.“They can expect to have somebody complete their return who is knowledgeable with tax law changes and licensed with federal and state [agencies],” she said, adding it could take anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours to complete a return, depending on one’s needs.The fees for filing a tax return at H&R Block also vary, depending on what type of return is being filed. When meeting with a representative it’s important to bring all documents from any employers, dividend statements, Social Security statements and so on. For more information, or to schedule an appointment at the H&R Block in Millerton, call 518-789-3647.