Stephen Colbert pranks H&R Block customers

April 6, 2017
Stephen Colbert as HRBlock rep Otto Sanchez

Click image to watch Stephen Colbert's character Otto Sanchez "advise" H&R Block customers.

Stephen Colbert has assumed a variety of personas during his comic career. On his April 5 CBS late night show a new, sort of tax-focused character appeared.

Hello Otto Sanchez, hoax H&R Block tax professional. As the company itself asked on its Facebook page, what could go wrong?

Plenty.

From singed and mistakenly shredded tax documents to an impromptu serenade to beer during the consultation, three customers of the country's largest franchised tax preparation service were amazingly good-natured victims of Colbert's skewed tax humor.

I hope the Late Show host and/or CBS at least paid these folks' fees for tax advice from real H&R Block representatives.

Do you use a tax pro or do your taxes yourself with software? Maybe you keep it all in the family like many millennials.

If you do go the tax pro route, here are some tips on picking the perfect tax preparer and then checking out that tax pro so that you're not stuck with an Otto Sanchez.

You also might find these items of interest:

Advertisement



 

Share:

The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

Latest Posts
6 tax moves to consider this June

June 3, 2026

Definitely take a break this June. But taxes don’t take vacations. So, you also should…

Read More
Tax Season 2026 Continues!

We made it. Tax Day 2025 is finally over. For most of us. When the filing season started on Jan. 26, millions who were expecting refunds filed immediately. Most of us got our returns to the Internal Revenue Service by April 15. But plenty of taxpayers also got extensions. They are looking at an Oct. 15 filing deadline.

Those procrastinating filers aren’t a problem. In fact, the IRS appreciates taxpayers who take time to fill out their 1040 forms correctly. It also is grateful that tax submissions are spread out a bit, especially now that the IRS is a leaner agency. Processing returns is easier when they arrive throughout the year instead of in massive bunches.

But enough about Uncle Sam’s tax collection issues. The focus now is on all y’all who filed for extensions, giving you another six months to complete your return. Since your new mid-October due date will be here before you know it, let’s get started now on meeting it.

The ol’ blog is here to help you finish up your extended Form 1040. You can start with January’s tax tips page, which has links to the rest of the year’s tips by-month collections. You also can peruse various tax categories for more tailored advice by clicking on the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of this (and every) page.

And to make sure you don’t miss your new filing deadline, the count-down clock below will let you know just how much time you to file by Oct. 15. At the latest.e. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

Comments
  • Thanks Kay, this is hilarious! Who knew it was the cheese that kept bringing people back to Block to do their taxes.

Comments are closed.