H&R Block - Revision history

Reform: Introduction copied from Wikipedia, and fixed some small things for readability and verifiability

2026-03-30T00:02:02Z

Introduction copied from Wikipedia, and fixed some small things for readability and verifiability

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:02, 30 March 2026
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	\|Website=https://www.hrblock.com/,https://www.hrblock.ca/,https://www.hrblock.com.au/		\|Website=https://www.hrblock.com/,https://www.hrblock.ca/,https://www.hrblock.com.au/
	\|Description="H&R Block" is an American tax preparation company that operates in Canada, the United States, and Australia.		\|Description="H&R Block" is an American tax preparation company that operates in Canada, the United States, and Australia.
	}}H&R Block is a tax ~~filing~~ company ~~that provides~~ tax ~~filing~~ software ~~for self-filing assistance~~, ~~as well as operates pop~~-~~up stores around the country to provide access to in-person tax~~ filing ~~professionals~~.		}}'''H&R Block, Inc.''', or '''H&R Block''', is an American [[wikipedia:Tax_preparation\|tax preparation]] company operating in Canada, the United States, and Australia. The company was founded in 1955 in Kansas City, Missouri, by brothers Henry W. Bloch and Richard Bloch.

			As of 2018, H&R Block operates approximately 12,000 retail tax offices staffed by tax professionals worldwide. The company offers [[wikipedia:Payroll\|payroll]], and [[wikipedia:Business_consulting\|business consulting]] services, consumer tax software, and online tax preparation/[[wikipedia:IRS_e-file\|electronic filing]] from their website.

	==Consumer-impact summary==		==Consumer-impact summary==
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	This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].		This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

	=== FTC ~~Case on the Matter of Consumer Protection deceptive/misleading conduct, Finance Advertising, and Marketing Online Advertising~~ ===		===Fined for unfair conduct by the FTC===
	{{Main\|link to the main CR Wiki article}}		{{Main\|link to the main CR Wiki article}}
	In February 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an administrative complaint against H&R Block, alleging that the company engaged in deceptive marketing and unfair practices. The complaint centered on the company's advertisements for "free" online tax filing, which the FTC stated were misleading to consumers. The FTC alleged that H&R Block marketed its products as "free" when, in reality, they were not free for many consumers. The advertisements often contained language in fine print limiting the offer to "simple returns," a term the FTC noted was not clearly defined and whose definition changed multiple times in recent years.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2025-01-08 \|title=H&R Block, In the Matter of \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/hr-block-matter \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-02-05 \|website=Federal Trade Commission \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251107090237/https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/hr-block-matter \|archive-date=7 Nov 2025}}</ref>		In February 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an administrative complaint against H&R Block, alleging that the company engaged in deceptive marketing and unfair practices. The complaint centered on the company's advertisements for "free" online tax filing, which the FTC stated were misleading to consumers. The FTC alleged that H&R Block marketed its products as "free" when, in reality, they were not free for many consumers. The advertisements often contained language in fine print limiting the offer to "simple returns," a term the FTC noted was not clearly defined and whose definition changed multiple times in recent years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|date=2025-01-08 \|title=H&R Block, In the Matter of \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/hr-block-matter \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-02-05 \|website=Federal Trade Commission \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251107090237/https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/hr-block-matter \|archive-date=7 Nov 2025}}</ref>

	The Commission alleged that H&R Block designed its online products to present an "obstacle course" to consumers, pressuring them into overpaying for services.		The Commission alleged that H&R Block designed its online products to present an "obstacle course" to consumers, pressuring them into overpaying for services. The upgrade process to more expensive products was seamless and automated, but the downgrade process to less expensive or free versions was manually obstructed. Users who wished to downgrade were required to contact customer support via chat or phone to process the request. The FTC noted that this created a significant time burden and disincentive for users attempting to avoid unnecessary fees. Furthermore, when a user successfully downgraded their service, H&R Block's system would delete all the tax data the consumer had previously entered. This forced the user to restart their tax return from scratch, a practice the FTC described as unfair and coercive.<ref name=":0" />

	The upgrade process to more expensive products was seamless and automated, the downgrade process to less expensive or free versions was manually obstructed. Users who wished to downgrade were required to contact customer support via chat or phone to process the request. The FTC noted that this created a significant time burden and disincentive for users attempting to avoid unnecessary fees. Furthermore, when a user successfully downgraded their service, H&R Block's system would delete all the tax data the consumer had previously entered. This forced the user to restart their tax return from scratch, a practice the FTC described as unfair and coercive.

	In January 2025, the FTC finalized a settlement order requiring H&R Block to pay $7 million to compensate harmed consumers. The settlement imposed several requirements on the company's future operations:		In January 2025, the FTC finalized a settlement order requiring H&R Block to pay $7 million to compensate harmed consumers. The settlement imposed several requirements on the company's future operations:

	# Data Retention The company must stop deleting consumers' entered data when they downgrade to a cheaper product.		#Data Retention The company must stop deleting consumers' entered data when they downgrade to a cheaper product.

	# Automated Downgrades By February 15, 2025, H&R Block must provide a simple, automated method (such as a chatbot or online tool) for consumers to downgrade without contacting live support.		#Automated Downgrades By February 15, 2025, H&R Block must provide a simple, automated method (such as a chatbot or online tool) for consumers to downgrade without contacting live support.

	# Advertising Disclosures The company must clearly disclose the percentage of taxpayers who qualify for "free" filing services in its advertisements, or state that a majority of taxpayers do not qualify.		#Advertising Disclosures The company must clearly disclose the percentage of taxpayers who qualify for "free" filing services in its advertisements, or state that a majority of taxpayers do not qualify.<ref name=":0" />

	==Products==		==Products==

	====== Tax Preparation ======		======Tax Preparation======

	* H&R Block Free Online (2008): A web-based filing service marketed for simple returns.		*H&R Block Free Online (2008): A web-based filing service marketed for simple returns.
	* H&R Block Deluxe (2008): Paid software marketed to homeowners and those with itemized deductions.		*H&R Block Deluxe (2008): Paid software marketed to homeowners and those with itemized deductions.
	* H&R Block Premium (2008): Paid software marketed for investors and rental property owners.		*H&R Block Premium (2008): Paid software marketed for investors and rental property owners.
	* Tax Pro Review / Tax Pro Go (2019): Virtual services where a tax professional reviews or prepares the return remotely.		*Tax Pro Review / Tax Pro Go (2019): Virtual services where a tax professional reviews or prepares the return remotely.

	==== Financial Services ====		====Financial Services====

	* Spruce (2022): A mobile banking platform and debit card introduced by H&R block including savings and debit services.		*Spruce (2022): A mobile banking platform and debit card introduced by H&R block including savings and debit services.
	* Identity Shield (2015): A subscription service for tax identity theft protection and assistance.		*Identity Shield (2015): A subscription service for tax identity theft protection and assistance.

	==See also==		==See also==
	~~{{Ph-C-SA}}~~
			* [[Intuit]]

	==References==		==References==

Mr Pollo at 21:16, 5 March 2026

2026-03-05T21:16:45Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:16, 5 March 2026
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			{{Incomplete\|Issue 1=needs more references}}
	{{CompanyCargo		{{CompanyCargo
	\|Founded=1955-01-25		\|Founded=1955-01-25

Bananabot: Added archive URLs for 1 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

2026-02-23T05:25:03Z

Added archive URLs for 1 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:25, 23 February 2026
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	=== FTC Case on the Matter of Consumer Protection deceptive/misleading conduct, Finance Advertising, and Marketing Online Advertising ===		=== FTC Case on the Matter of Consumer Protection deceptive/misleading conduct, Finance Advertising, and Marketing Online Advertising ===
	{{Main\|link to the main CR Wiki article}}		{{Main\|link to the main CR Wiki article}}
	In February 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an administrative complaint against H&R Block, alleging that the company engaged in deceptive marketing and unfair practices. The complaint centered on the company's advertisements for "free" online tax filing, which the FTC stated were misleading to consumers. The FTC alleged that H&R Block marketed its products as "free" when, in reality, they were not free for many consumers. The advertisements often contained language in fine print limiting the offer to "simple returns," a term the FTC noted was not clearly defined and whose definition changed multiple times in recent years.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2025-01-08 \|title=H&R Block, In the Matter of \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/hr-block-matter \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-02-05 \|website=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref>		In February 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an administrative complaint against H&R Block, alleging that the company engaged in deceptive marketing and unfair practices. The complaint centered on the company's advertisements for "free" online tax filing, which the FTC stated were misleading to consumers. The FTC alleged that H&R Block marketed its products as "free" when, in reality, they were not free for many consumers. The advertisements often contained language in fine print limiting the offer to "simple returns," a term the FTC noted was not clearly defined and whose definition changed multiple times in recent years.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2025-01-08 \|title=H&R Block, In the Matter of \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/hr-block-matter \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-02-05 \|website=Federal Trade Commission \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251107090237/https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/hr-block-matter \|archive-date=7 Nov 2025}}</ref>

	The Commission alleged that H&R Block designed its online products to present an "obstacle course" to consumers, pressuring them into overpaying for services.		The Commission alleged that H&R Block designed its online products to present an "obstacle course" to consumers, pressuring them into overpaying for services.

Shard92: Removed Template Block, Added Incident Summary.

2026-02-05T18:52:50Z

Removed Template Block, Added Incident Summary.

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:52, 5 February 2026
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	\|Website=https://www.hrblock.com/,https://www.hrblock.ca/,https://www.hrblock.com.au/		\|Website=https://www.hrblock.com/,https://www.hrblock.ca/,https://www.hrblock.com.au/
	\|Description="H&R Block" is an American tax preparation company that operates in Canada, the United States, and Australia.		\|Description="H&R Block" is an American tax preparation company that operates in Canada, the United States, and Australia.
	}}		}}H&R Block is a tax filing company that provides tax filing software for self-filing assistance, as well as operates pop-up stores around the country to provide access to in-person tax filing professionals.
	~~{{Ph~~-C-~~Int}}~~

	==Consumer-impact summary==		==Consumer-impact summary==
	~~{{Ph-C-CIS}}~~H&R Block was founded in 1955, in Kansas City, Missouri. The company went public in 1962 and expanded into online services and digital tax preparation software. It competes with other financial services and tax preparation companies such as [[Intuit]]. These tax preparation service companies lobby congress to promote tax filing complexity and reduce tax code simplicity to create a market for filing services.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Popken \|first=Ben \|date=23 Mar 2017 \|title=TurboTax, H&R Block Spend Big Bucks Lobbying for Us to Keep Doing Our Own Taxes \|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/taxes/turbotax-h-r-block-spend-millions-lobbying-us-keep-doing-n736386 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250704142341/https://www.nbcnews.com/business/taxes/turbotax-h-r-block-spend-millions-lobbying-us-keep-doing-n736386 \|archive-date=4 Jul 2025 \|access-date=5 Feb 2025 \|work=NBC News}}</ref>		H&R Block was founded in 1955, in Kansas City, Missouri. The company went public in 1962 and expanded into online services and digital tax preparation software. It competes with other financial services and tax preparation companies such as [[Intuit]]. These tax preparation service companies lobby congress to promote tax filing complexity and reduce tax code simplicity to create a market for filing services.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Popken \|first=Ben \|date=23 Mar 2017 \|title=TurboTax, H&R Block Spend Big Bucks Lobbying for Us to Keep Doing Our Own Taxes \|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/taxes/turbotax-h-r-block-spend-millions-lobbying-us-keep-doing-n736386 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250704142341/https://www.nbcnews.com/business/taxes/turbotax-h-r-block-spend-millions-lobbying-us-keep-doing-n736386 \|archive-date=4 Jul 2025 \|access-date=5 Feb 2025 \|work=NBC News}}</ref>

	==Incidents==		==Incidents==
	{{~~Ph-C-Inc~~}}		This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

	~~This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}\|{{PAGENAME}} category]].~~		=== FTC Case on the Matter of Consumer Protection deceptive/misleading conduct, Finance Advertising, and Marketing Online Advertising ===
	===~~Example incident one (''date'')~~===
	{{Main\|link to the main CR Wiki article}}		{{Main\|link to the main CR Wiki article}}
	~~Short summary of~~ the ~~incident~~ (~~could be~~ the ~~same~~ as the ~~summary preceding~~ the ~~article)~~.		In February 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an administrative complaint against H&R Block, alleging that the company engaged in deceptive marketing and unfair practices. The complaint centered on the company's advertisements for "free" online tax filing, which the FTC stated were misleading to consumers. The FTC alleged that H&R Block marketed its products as "free" when, in reality, they were not free for many consumers. The advertisements often contained language in fine print limiting the offer to "simple returns," a term the FTC noted was not clearly defined and whose definition changed multiple times in recent years.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2025-01-08 \|title=H&R Block, In the Matter of \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/hr-block-matter \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-02-05 \|website=Federal Trade Commission}}</ref>
	===~~Example incident two (''~~date''~~)===~~
	...		The Commission alleged that H&R Block designed its online products to present an "obstacle course" to consumers, pressuring them into overpaying for services.

			The upgrade process to more expensive products was seamless and automated, the downgrade process to less expensive or free versions was manually obstructed. Users who wished to downgrade were required to contact customer support via chat or phone to process the request. The FTC noted that this created a significant time burden and disincentive for users attempting to avoid unnecessary fees. Furthermore, when a user successfully downgraded their service, H&R Block's system would delete all the tax data the consumer had previously entered. This forced the user to restart their tax return from scratch, a practice the FTC described as unfair and coercive.

			In January 2025, the FTC finalized a settlement order requiring H&R Block to pay $7 million to compensate harmed consumers. The settlement imposed several requirements on the company's future operations:

			# Data Retention The company must stop deleting consumers' entered data when they downgrade to a cheaper product.

			# Automated Downgrades By February 15, 2025, H&R Block must provide a simple, automated method (such as a chatbot or online tool) for consumers to downgrade without contacting live support.

			# Advertising Disclosures The company must clearly disclose the percentage of taxpayers who qualify for "free" filing services in its advertisements, or state that a majority of taxpayers do not qualify.

	==Products==		==Products==
	~~{{Ph~~-~~C-P}}~~
			====== Tax Preparation ======

			* H&R Block Free Online (2008): A web-based filing service marketed for simple returns.
			* H&R Block Deluxe (2008): Paid software marketed to homeowners and those with itemized deductions.
			* H&R Block Premium (2008): Paid software marketed for investors and rental property owners.
			* Tax Pro Review / Tax Pro Go (2019): Virtual services where a tax professional reviews or prepares the return remotely.

			==== Financial Services ====

			* Spruce (2022): A mobile banking platform and debit card introduced by H&R block including savings and debit services.
			* Identity Shield (2015): A subscription service for tax identity theft protection and assistance.

	==See also==		==See also==

Shard92: /* Consumer-impact summary */

2026-02-05T17:36:08Z

Consumer-impact summary

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:36, 5 February 2026
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	==Consumer-impact summary==		==Consumer-impact summary==
	{{Ph-C-CIS}}		{{Ph-C-CIS}}H&R Block was founded in 1955, in Kansas City, Missouri. The company went public in 1962 and expanded into online services and digital tax preparation software. It competes with other financial services and tax preparation companies such as [[Intuit]]. These tax preparation service companies lobby congress to promote tax filing complexity and reduce tax code simplicity to create a market for filing services.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Popken \|first=Ben \|date=23 Mar 2017 \|title=TurboTax, H&R Block Spend Big Bucks Lobbying for Us to Keep Doing Our Own Taxes \|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/taxes/turbotax-h-r-block-spend-millions-lobbying-us-keep-doing-n736386 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250704142341/https://www.nbcnews.com/business/taxes/turbotax-h-r-block-spend-millions-lobbying-us-keep-doing-n736386 \|archive-date=4 Jul 2025 \|access-date=5 Feb 2025 \|work=NBC News}}</ref>

	==Incidents==		==Incidents==

Shard92: Created page with "{{CompanyCargo |Founded=1955-01-25 |Industry=Financial services, Financial Technology |Logo=H&R Block Logo.png |Type=Public |Website=https://www.hrblock.com/,https://www.hrblock.ca/,https://www.hrblock.com.au/ |Description="H&R Block" is an American tax preparation company that operates in Canada, the United States, and Australia. }} {{Ph-C-Int}} ==Consumer-impact summary== {{Ph-C-CIS}} ==Incidents== {{Ph-C-Inc}} This is a list of all consumer-protection incid..."

2026-02-05T16:04:13Z

Created page with "{{CompanyCargo |Founded=1955-01-25 |Industry=Financial services, Financial Technology |Logo=H&R Block Logo.png |Type=Public |Website=https://www.hrblock.com/,https://www.hrblock.ca/,https://www.hrblock.com.au/ |Description="H&R Block" is an American tax preparation company that operates in Canada, the United States, and Australia. }} {{Ph-C-Int}} ==Consumer-impact summary== {{Ph-C-CIS}} ==Incidents== {{Ph-C-Inc}} This is a list of all consumer-protection incid..."

New page

{{CompanyCargo
|Founded=1955-01-25
|Industry=Financial services, Financial Technology
|Logo=H&R Block Logo.png
|Type=Public
|Website=https://www.hrblock.com/,https://www.hrblock.ca/,https://www.hrblock.com.au/
|Description="H&R Block" is an American tax preparation company that operates in Canada, the United States, and Australia.
}}
{{Ph-C-Int}}

==Consumer-impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}

==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Example incident one (''date'')===
{{Main|link to the main CR Wiki article}}
Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
===Example incident two (''date'')===
...

==Products==
{{Ph-C-P}}

==See also==
{{Ph-C-SA}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]