I was ready to give H&R Block a big pat on the back for their promotional free refund anticipation check, but then I lost my enthusiasm after a little bit of calling around.

During Block’s March 7th investor call, Block’s CEO led off with his belief that offering free refund anticipation checks had been a boon for business.

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The news that customers will be able to get free tax preparation service has prompted an intense and varied reaction among consumer advocates.

It is the variation in those reactions, from groups that often speak in lockstep with eachother, that seems so unusual. Some groups appear to acknowledge the value of (more…)

The nation’s largest retailer is going to do taxes for millions of people for free this year.

Wal-Mart says there will be tax preparers in 3,000 of its stores. Most of those preparers will be from Jackson Hewitt, although some will be from Block.

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With the latest round of re-organization at Jackson Hewitt, Wells Fargo seems destined to run the nation’s second largest tax preparation chain in the country.

When Wells purchased Wachovia, it inherited a position as the lead lender to Jackson (more…)

Republic Bank (“RBCAA”)says that revenue from its two largest tax refund partners, Jackson Hewitt and Liberty Tax, accounted for almost sixty percent of total revenue in its Tax (more…)