H&R Block

H&R Block was founded in 1955 in Kansas City, Missouri, and pioneered assisted tax preparation. The company provides tax preparation services both in person and digitally, alongside small business financial services and consumer financial products. It serves more than 22 million clients worldwide in a typical year and has prepared more than 1 billion tax returns cumulatively over more than 70 years of operation.

Its product range spans H&R Block Online Free Edition, for which roughly 52% of filers qualify, paid online products offering AI-assisted guidance and live tax support, and downloadable do-it-yourself software. Assisted preparation is delivered by tax professionals who average 10 years of experience, in person or virtually. Beyond tax filing, the company offers Block Advisors for small business tax, bookkeeping, payroll and business formation; the MyBlock customer platform for document storage, messaging with a tax professional and year-round refund tracking; the Spruce mobile banking platform; the Emerald Card; and refund-related lending services.

Technical work covers digital tax preparation software, online filing platforms, AI-assisted tax guidance, mobile banking technology, customer document storage and communication systems, and refund tracking. The company describes its approach as combining human expertise with digital tools, with an emphasis on one-on-one assistance and on maintaining customer relationships year-round rather than only during tax season. It has been expanding beyond traditional tax preparation into broader financial products.