H&R BLOCK Franchise Complaints
H&R Block tax franchise is experiencing turbulent times.
Yet despite undergoing a “broad strategic realignment,” that includes the elimination of hundreds of jobs and the closing of 200 underperforming company-owned offices, H&R Block continues to recruit new franchisees.
Are you familiar with the H&R Block franchise opportunity? What challenges do H&R Block franchisees face? Share an opinion below.
According to H&R Block franchise marketing, “no one knows the tax industry like we do, and no competitor can offer a better franchise opportunity.
“So you can rest assured that our long history with the franchise business model will work to your advantage.
“We’ll supply the tools you need to help you effectively beat the competition and to help you ensure your franchise’s success.
“There are many benefits to becoming an H&R Block franchisee.
Learn about the advantages of working with the No. 1 brand in tax preparation.
Over 55 Years of Experience
Largest Tax Network in the United States
Low Initial Investment
Available Business Financing
Strong Support to Help Expand Your Business
Unmatched Industry Training and Technology
Superior Products and Services
ALSO READ:
H&R BLOCK To Close 200 Company Locations, Cut 350 Jobs April 26, 2012
TAX FRANCHISES: Biggest Winners & Losers of 2010 January 12, 2011
H&R BLOCK Dumps EXPRESSTAX… & Franchisees? October 3, 2011
About H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc. has prepared more than 575 million tax returns worldwide since 1955, making it the country’s largest tax services provider. In fiscal 2011, H&R Block had annual revenues of nearly $3 billion and prepared more than 24.5 million tax returns worldwide, including Canada and Australia. Tax return preparation services are provided in company-owned and franchise retail tax offices by approximately 100,000 professional tax preparers, and through H&R Block At Home(TM) digital products. H&R Block Bank provides affordable banking products and services. For more information, visit the H&R Block Online Press Center.
SOURCE: H & R Block
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE H&R BLOCK AND THE H&R BLOCK FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? IS IT STILL A VIABLE H&R BLOCK FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
30% royalties….. haha….
How are everyone’s numbers compared to last year? I think we are losing a lot of customers to Liberty Tax offices that are popping out everywhere.
THE BLOCK OFFICES IN MY AREA ARE PACKED TODAY!! THEY ARE ADVERTISING EVERYWHERE!!
Not sure what are you live but not in my area.
Liberty Tax offices are dead… Tax Season is pretty much over already.
Mike,
What are you talking about. This weekend was my busiest weekend ever and this is my 5th year.
30% Royalties for an HR block franchise is just crazyness.
Has anyone who is a current Zee received any numbers from their AD on how other office’s are doing? Nothing from ours since last Feb, but possibly at the end of the season?
Tax season is over for first peak but not for real taxpayers. Did anyone’s “guerilla marketing” help them this year or just help them part from their money?
Look like with the IRS being still about 20% behind in filings, this is going to be a good year for the big 3. Tax preparation industry has never been better.
Look like HR Block is losing a lot of business to Liberty Tax Service lately? Has anyone else seen this happen? Is that why Jackson Hewitt went bankrupt too?
The IRS is down about 15% from previous years. Looks like people are filing late this year.
How much is Liberty down?
Not sure, they have not announced yet as they are a publicly traded company.
I know many franchisees including myself that are up but I am sure Trisha, Mike-tard, Frustrated, Bill-tard and San Fran are not one of them. Rumor has it it is the same person using all those names and that he has forgotten to take his medication so he keeps posting over and over and over.
^^^^Rumor has it it is the same person???? Who’s rumor is it?
I will say it again. I am not a guy and I am not posting under any other name but my own. LTS franchises SUCK. The man at the helm is a complete jerk and he has many, many people who can’t stand him. He is a first class rip off artist and has scammed thousands of people.
Anyone that joins the LTS franchise is making a huge mistake and will be forever sorry they signed on with these hoodlums. He has turned my families world upside down and I hope he gets what’s coming to him. I’m throwing a huge party the day he is taken away in handcuffs. He deserves nothing less.
look like Liberty keeps taking business from HR Block? They seem to just be a marketing machine. Meanwhile HR block and JH keep losing customers. Any ideas how they do it?
Liberty lies into making you think they are a marketing machine. Don’t believe everything Liberty tells you since it is their spin on things. It would be difficult for Liberty to take market share from HR Block without national advertising. Think about it.
@Guest-obvioulsy you have not been following H&R’s stock this last week.
over the last few years it is obvious they have taken market share from someone i f they keep growing at bigger rate than IRS filed returns. Not sure how you can make those numbers up. Scammed, what makes you think the only way to grow is to have national commercials? Remember Jackson Hewitt used to have Magic Johnson doing its commercials and then they filed bankruptcy?
Looks like IRS is down 12%, HR Block down 8% but Liberty Tax’s number of returns in offices are only down 3.5%. Assuming IRS will be flat by year’s end Liberty should be up about 8% in number of returns, probably up 15% in system-wide revenues. Guess San Fran, Tracy, Mike, Bill, Franchizee, Frustrated (all the same person with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder using all those aliases) will be very sad as they were hoping every franchisee failed so he could feel better about his failures.
Real problems this season – software and preparer errors. HR Block with 600,000 delayed returns. Turbo tax issues. Best time to go independant. Second largest independant in my area has over 2,000 returns.
She has almost no bank products. Clients pay out of pocket.
It’s too bad about the ranting. This site was offering information that was useful.
It’s been taken over by ranting.
Seems like these 600,000 delayed returns are going to cause a lot of people to switch to Liberty Tax and Jackson Hewitt??? Any thoughts?
Guest 4444,
Have you been watching H&R Block stock? Those delayed returns have not had one bit of an impact on shareholder value. As for Liberty Tax, they SUCK, they will likely be down in return count double digits by the end of the tax season..and from here on out will be the “FASTEST DECLINING EVER!” I hope you do atleast 10 returns between now and the end of the season so you can pay your preparers their bonus.
Mike,
The reason HR Block is up is that investors feel Obama Care will be bringing new opportunities for tax preparers in the future since filing taxes will be an important step in buying insurance with a government subsidy. HR block is already starting to offer a free Health Insurance look.
Liberty tax was only down 5% while the IRS was down 13% as of February 28 which makes them on pace to be up about 8% in number of returns probably 20% in system-wide which is is not too bad. HR block will probably be flat and Jackson Hewitt down 20%
I guess no matter what you will be bashing them because of your obsessive compulsive thoughts. I suggest doubling the dose of your prozac
I’ve worked for H&R Block for 20 years, and this is the best tax season I’ve ever had! Everything is good!
Marie,
Where are you located? Is it a high income or low income area? Do you have any Liberty Tax or JH offices near you?
Guest 4444,
This must be your first tax season. NO TAX company has ever increased their first peak increase after February 15th….GOOD LUCK!
Mike,
You must not follow the news or be able to do common sense analysis without being affected by your obvious ill feelings towards others who you blame for your failures.
No tax season has ever started on January 30th and not had forms ready until March. IRS was down 12% as of March 1 and is only down 5% by late March. Obviously, people are filing later this year due to all the delays.
I find it interesting that these “up” numbers are NOT reflected in other retail industries that depend on tax season for their peak. These other retail sales companies depend 3 peaks as well. Their products are designed for the exact same early and late season clients that walk through retail tax preparation storefronts.
How do you explain why they are reporting the worst year of their franchise careers with experiences of 20 plus years? They have done their research as well and consulted with every franchisee and competitor across the nation. They have concluded beyond doubt that because Liberty Tax, Jackson Hewitt and HR Block are down, they have now experienced their lowest numbers in history.
Regardless, the ego should stop and information should be reliable. Franchisees are suffering. Acknowledge it, do not deny it.
Also, I am Peter Paul and Simon too. ;-)
-Trisha
Guest 4444,
Yeah, all the EIC clients from January are waiting until April 15th to get their $8000 refunds! That’s as logical as saying Liberty will be up in returns this year. Remember Liberty is the “FASTEST DECLINING EVER!!!!” hahahahahahahahahah!!!!!!
Yes Mike, all our customers are EIC customers with $8000 refunds. Whatever you say my friend. Trisha, you are very disturbed as well or are you and Mike the same individual.
Whats interesting is the concern you express for franchisees. It’s not genuine because all of your comments are self-centered and self-congradulating. If you just want to attack the management of a company, why not stick to that instead of verbally condeming all franchisees.
Brick and mortar down 2.8%. I think Liberty Tax continues to hurt HRB and Jackson Hewitt. How did JH do?
Brick and mortar down 2.8%. I think Liberty Tax continues to hurt HRB and Jackson Hewitt. How did JH do?
No comments at all about Jackson Hewitt. No visable marketing either. A few of their stores in my area went independant.
In my area, they were only in Walmart and they are now gone for the season.
HR Block is giving a $25 gift card to the 600,000 people whos refund was held up by the mistake with the education credit form. Bet you at least half those people will be up for grabs. HR Block’s sales flat year-to-year.
guest 2
They are all going to the free places next year,
Mike how do you explain Liberty Tax being up and the free alliance being down?
Psst.. Nobody cares what Liberty reports for growth (especially the competition who holds the royal flush).
-Trisha
Mike you could be right. $50 each if not free. After your payroll, you should have about $10 left.
Guest2,
IF and really IF, Liberty is up, it will only be because new franchisees entered the system and did ALL the work. The real story to Liberty is whether Same Store sales grew and by how much because new stores are nearly irrelevant. SCREWITT, likes to BOAST about his results….there will be NO BOASTING SOON!! If Liberty has a less then 10 percent increase in same store sales which is HIGHLY LIKELY–more probable 2-3 percent, but I predict same store sales down 3-5 percent!!! MEANS LIBERTY IS DONE, DONE DONE DONE DONE DONE, GOOD luck selling franchises this summer with negative SAME STORE SALES, can you say DONE DONE DONE!!!?
Mike,
Basically you admitting that no matter what you won’t have anything positive to say about Liberty Tax because of your hatred of John Hewitt. Sounds sad, you may want to get some professional help.
Guest,
I will say something positive about Liberty Tax: There are some AWESOME current zees and EX ZEES on this board.
As for SCREWITT-he had me at Hello and fooled me!
If I was starting a Tax Franchise today I would not go with Jackson Hewitt who just came out of bankruptcy and is closing stores down and HR block who is closing stores down, losing customers and charging 30% royalties. Liberty Tax has been adding 300 stores each year for the last few years in addition to growing double digits. Sounds like it did not work out for a few of you who keep posting on here and are very angry but may you should look at yourselves in the mirror since so many other are doing well. I know several stores in my area that are doing $250k in net revenues and profiting $100k for 3 months of work, 6 weeks of which are very busy. Show me another business that you can do that with.
You might know of a few stores that have $250k, but not many. This is a business you can profit from but don’t expect to net $100k unless you buy an existing store making that. Expect to net $25 to $40k if you are really good at it and don’t have 12% loans. Don’t expect to pay your household expenses or you’ll be homeless. and don’t forget, this is not a ‘run it absentee’ business. and don’t forget, it sucks to pay your off season bills from the money you worked so hard for from january to april. did’nt make enough? you’ll need to borrow it and get caught in the cycle.
Guest2,
I agree with you 100%. But at the same time name me a business that you can just open up and make $100k right away. It takes a liberty Tax business about 6-7 years to get there. I definitely don’t think this is a get rich quick scheme. Also, you can’t run it absentee but you only need to work 4 months of the year. What other business requires only 4 months of the year of work? HR Block has been in business since the 50s losing money for 3 quarters and making all of it its profit during tax season. Liberty Tax is not perfect but it is not as bad as Mike, Franchizee, San Fran, Trisha, Bill (they are all the same person) says it is. He is a failed franchisee from NJ that everyone knows that is obsessed about this and keeps posting everywhere.
I agree somewhat. Actually, I think it can be done in less than 6 to 7 years. Maybe just 3 to 4 years. I agree with the not many. The problem is the overselling and the expensive cost of credit. Not enough warning in the beginning that you can and probably will lose money. I have investigated many other businesses and keep coming back to the tax industry because of the half-year work period. You need more than the 4 months. That only works if you are in a low income area with simple returns. and there is no growth in low income areas.
Looks like Liberty grew its brick and mortar business this year and HR block lost market share and who knows how bad Jackson Hewitt did. Instant Tax is pretty much done. Looks like Liberty Tax continues to outperform the other companies.
Instant still going strong here. Jackson Hewitt looks done. Once the HR Block commercials stopped, people stopped talking about them. Liberty should work on fair share of profits for store owners.