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Failure to pay employees

On January 27, 2018 a new section was added to the main article claiming that H&R Block has failed to pay its employees. It cites a Facebook post as its authority, and that post appears to be the complaint of a single worker complaining that she had not been paid for two months' work.

Does an isolated Facebook post qualify as the type of authority expected for encyclopedic articles?

I have not modified the article, but raise this for consideration. Jnmwiki (talk) 05:05, 30 January 2018 (UTC)

Block Advisors

In 2016, H&R Block launched Block Advisors, a year-round tax preparation and planning service for individuals and small businesses with more complex tax situations.[1] The more than 280 Block Advisors offices nationwide[2] also offer small business services like bookkeeping, payroll, bill payment and accounts receivable monitoring.[3]

168.137.100.22 (talk) 20:07, 11 February 2016 (UTC)

Done! -IagoQnsi (talk) 06:19, 27 February 2016 (UTC)

References

  1. ^ http://newsroom.hrblock.com/block-advisors-launches-year-round-tax-prep-service/
  2. ^ http://www.nj.com/independentpress/index.ssf/2016/01/chamber_holds_ribbon_cutting_o.html
  3. ^ http://www.cpbj.com/article/20160115/FACEFORWARD13/160119849/tax-season-opens-with-a-new-player

Help to remove inappropriately sourced content

Hi there, per Jnmwiki's post above, earlier this year a new section of this article Unpaid Employees was created based on a Facebook post. I've been researching and have not been able to find any journalistic coverage of this issue, and the only other sourcing available for the information in the section appears to also be social media (mainly LinkedIn) posts by the employee involved. On behalf of H&R Block (via their PR agency, Ketchum, as part of my work at Beutler Ink), I'd like to request that editors take a look at this information and remove it, since there is no Wikipedia appropriate sourcing.

Looking at the page's edit history, there's not many active editors who have edited the article in recent months but it looks like Edknol and TimK MSI are still active: would either of you be willing to look into this and remove this section? Thanks in advance, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 15:00, 23 March 2018 (UTC)

Based on my own experience, H&R Block does sometimes fail to pay people on time even when it violates state law. It does not surprise me that no media reports have appeared about this. The state can help you get your back pay but they cannot prevent you from being fired for complaining. So in conclusion, I do not plan on making any edits to that section. Edknol (talk) 20:20, 23 March 2018 (UTC)
As Edknol doesn't want to make this edit for personal reasons, and no-one else has replied, I'm wondering if either GorillaWarfare and Mr. Satterly would be willing to take a look -- you are among the few other active editors who've made changes on this page in the not-so-distant past. Would either of you be willing to remove the Unpaid Employees section, sourced to a Facebook post? Thanks in advance for looking at this. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:03, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
 Done GorillaWarfare (talk) 21:13, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
Thank you so much for looking into this, GorillaWarfare, much appreciated. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 00:26, 3 April 2018 (UTC)

Request to update infobox

Hi there! On behalf of H&R Block (via their PR agency, Ketchum, as part of my work at Beutler Ink), I'd like to request some updates to this article's infobox. You can find my proposed draft below, along with the markup, and references. The updates that I am proposing below are:

  • Adding wikilinks for company founders Henry and Richard Bloch, and CEO Jeff Jones
  • Updating financials, including: revenue, net income, assets, equity based on full financial year 2017 reporting
  • Updating employee count based on 2017 full year reporting
    • Within the above, I'm also suggesting adding the figure for seasonal employees, since a substantial amount of H&R Block employees do not work with the company year-round

All other details are per the current infobox.

Proposed updated infobox
H&R Block, Inc.
Company typePublic
FoundedJanuary 25, 1955; 69 years ago (1955-01-25)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Founder
Headquarters
Kansas City, Missouri
,
U.S.
Area served
United States, Canada, Australia, India
Key people
Products
RevenueDecrease $ 3.0 billion (FY 2017)[2]: 20 
Increase $ 409 million (FY 2017)[2]: 20 
Total assetsDecrease $ 2.7 billion (FY 2017)[2]: 20 
Total equityDecrease $ (60 million) (FY 2017)[2]: 20 
Number of employees
  • 2,300 (regular full-time in 2017)
  • 87,500 (including seasonal employees)[2]: 5 
Websitehrblock.com
Markup

{{Infobox company
| name = H&R Block, Inc.
| logo = [[File:HR-Block-Review-2014-cropped.jpg|200px]]
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| traded_as = {{ubl|{{nyse|HRB}}|[[S&P 500|S&P 500 Component]]}}
| founder = {{ubl|[[Henry Bloch]]|[[Richard Bloch]]}}
| area_served = United States, [[Canada]], [[Australia]], [[India]]
| key_people = {{ubl|[[Jeff Jones (executive)|Jeffrey J. Jones II]] ([[Chief executive officer|CEO]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hrblock.com/tax-center/newsroom/around-block/about-us/hr-block-names-jeff-jones-president-ceo-2/ |title=H&R Block names Jeff Jones as president and CEO |date=22 August 2017 |accessdate=14 December 2017}}</ref> |Tony Bowen ([[Chief Financial Officer|CFO]])|Robert Gerard ([[Chairman]])}} <nowiki>| products = {{ubl|[[Tax Preparation]]|[[Service (economics)|Business Services]]}}
| revenue = {{nowrap|{{decrease}} [[United States Dollar|$]] 3.0 billion <small>(FY 2017)</small>}}<ref name="10k17">{{cite web |url=http://investors.hrblock.com/static-files/954d81c4-c732-4dab-a37b-77e994c3437a |title=2017 Form 10-K |date=2017 |publisher=H&R Block |accessdate=21 February 2018}}</ref>{{rp|20}}
| net_income = {{increase}} [[United States Dollar|$]] 409 million <small>(FY 2017)</small><ref name="10k17"/>{{rp|20}}
| assets = {{decrease}} [[United States Dollar|$]] 2.7 billion <small>(FY 2017)</small><ref name="10k17"/>{{rp|20}}
| equity = {{decrease}} [[United States Dollar|$]] (60 million) <small>(FY 2017)</small><ref name="10k17"/>{{rp|20}}
| num_employees = {{ubl|2,300 <small>(regular full-time in 2017)</small>|87,500 <small>(including season employees)</small><ref name="10k17"/>{{rp|5}}}} | <!-- infobox sources: http://investors.hrblock.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=76888&p=irol-reportsAnnual --> <!-- https://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=HRB --> <!-- http://www.hrblock.com -->
| foundation = {{start date and age|1955|1|25}}<br>[[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| location_city = Kansas City, Missouri
| location_country = U.S.
| homepage = {{URL|hrblock.com}}

}}
References

References

  1. ^ "H&R Block names Jeff Jones as president and CEO". 22 August 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e "2017 Form 10-K". H&R Block. 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2018.

Since I do have a financial conflict of interest, I won't edit the article myself and am looking for an uninvolved editors to review and make changes as appropriate. Would GorillaWarfare like to review this request as well? Thanks in advance! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 14:07, 1 May 2018 (UTC)

@16912 Rhiannon: Do you mind using the {{requested edit}} template? After doing my own taxes I don't have a ton of energy to dig through investor documentation... GorillaWarfare (talk) 23:29, 2 May 2018 (UTC)
Aha, I totally understand if you don't have time right now and thanks so much for replying here to let me know. I'll look for assistance elsewhere. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 16:44, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
Thanks to Whoisjohngalt for reviewing this request and making the updates! With apologies, as I look at it, I do spot a small formatting error that looks to be my fault from a typo in the markup. There's a stray nowiki tag after "Robert Gerard (Chairman)" that needs to be removed. Would you mind making that fix? Thanks again, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 13:24, 16 May 2018 (UTC)
16912_Rhiannon, I should have caught that. All done. Chat soon. Whoisjohngalt (talk) 14:42, 16 May 2018 (UTC)
Thanks again, much appreciated! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 16:28, 16 May 2018 (UTC)

Request to update History

Hi there! On behalf of H&R Block (via their PR agency, Ketchum, as part of my work at Beutler Ink), I'm back to request an updated and expanded History section. The live History section contains a lot of unsourced material, and its fair share of promotional language (For example, this unsourced sentence: "A TV ad campaign begun in 1972 featured Henry Bloch and became the springboard for H&R Block becoming one of the most widely recognized brand names in the U.S.")

Additionally, I am asking editors to move the content from the existing Controversies section into History. Controversies and Criticisms sections have become deprecated per WP:CRITS, and by their very nature are biased. My proposal is to merge the details into the History within the chronology as appropriate, retaining all content sourced to secondary sources.

You can find my draft below, along with the markup, and references. This is intended to replace the existing History and Controversies sections. The key updates that I am proposing are:

  • Moving all the subsections currently in Controversies into History
    • Please note that I'm suggesting deletion of some material from the existing H&R Block's own taxes portion. One sentence in the section is based on routine trading news and the other content is sourced only to the company's government filings, and was not written about in the third-party source provided. Here's the current text for reviewing editors to look over, and see if they feel it's necessary to include:
That mistake, plus Block's lower-than-expected earnings for the quarter, caused its stock price to drop by 8.5 percent in one day. On April 30, 2008, the company's liability recorded for "uncertain tax positions" totaled $137.6 million (excluding related interest and penalties). According to H&R Block, "This liability represents an estimate of tax positions we have taken in our tax returns that may ultimately not be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities." Estimated gross interest and penalties relating to these potential assessments totaled an additional $47.5 million.[1][2]
  • Adding detail on the 2009 settlement with the New York Attorney General's office (currently in the Express IRA subsection)
  • Dividing History into two subsections: Early history and Recent history
  • Adding some information on the company's early focus and trimming down some of the color around the separation of the tax preparation business etc.
  • Rewriting the material surrounding H&R Block moving to New York and then franchising its office there. The current reference is no longer available, so I swapped in a new source and trimmed detail to make it more encyclopedic
  • Removing unsourced material and WP:POV text. (For example: "grew quickly" should just say "grew". And as mentioned before, the entire sentence about H&R Block's first TV commercial)
  • Adding new sources where needed to support existing material, including:H&R Block's Compuserve acquisition; details from 1986; beginning electronic filing; purchase of Olde Discount Stockbrokers
  • Adding material on H&R Block's acquisition of MECA and TaxCut
  • Deleting unsourced material (such as "By 2007, the unit was managing $33 billion in assets, offering investment planning, advice and related financial products and services, and employed 900 financial advisors in the U.S.")
  • Adding clarification and sourcing for H&R Block's purchase of McGladrey & Pullen's business
  • Adding recent leadership changes, such as the hiring of CEO Jeff Jones
Proposed updated History
History
Early history

During World War II, Henry W. Bloch was a young Army Air Forces navigator who wanted to start a family business with his brothers in Kansas City.[3] Home from the war in 1946, Henry saw a pamphlet suggesting a bright future for companies serving small businesses, and it sparked his imagination.[3] That year, Henry and his older brother, Leon, borrowed $5,000 and opened a small bookkeeping business on Main Street in downtown Kansas City.[3] However, four months later, they had few clients and Leon decided to seek a law degree.[3]

Henry wanted to keep trying with the fledgling business and placed a newspaper ad for help-wanted.[3] He got an unexpected response—from his mother—who proposed that Henry hire his younger brother, Richard, for the job.[3] Henry and Richard Bloch jointly ran their United Business Company, which focused on accounting, bookkeeping and payroll, but also did some income tax work for clients.[4] The brothers took out an ad for its $5 tax services in The Kansas City Star newspaper in 1955. The ad was a success and H&R Block was born.[5][6] The Bloch brothers chose to spell the name "Block" with a K to ensure the name is not mispronounced "blotch".[5][7]

In 1956, the Blochs decided to expand and picked New York City.[6] Neither brother wanted to move to New York, so they agreed to sell that regional operation, creating the first H&R Block franchise tax office.[8] In the following years, H&R Block grew and went public in 1962.[5]

In 1980 H&R Block purchased the Compuserve online service.[9] By 1986, Block was handling more than 10 million tax returns annually and had opened offices in Canada and Australia.[10][11][12] That year, the company worked with the Internal Revenue Service to introduce electronic filing.[13]

An H&R Block in Gillette, Wyoming
Recent history

H&R Block acquired MECA Software, the company that created the TaxCut software, in 1993.[14] In 1995, H&R Block sold MECA, [15] but retained TaxCut.[16]

The company began to expand in the 1990s into the financial services arena, offering mortgage loans,[17] banking and business services.[18] H&R Block purchased Olde Discount Stockbrokers in 1999[19] and operated as a full-service securities broker-dealer under the name H&R Block Financial Advisors. In 2008, the company sold its H&R Block Financial Advisors unit to Ameriprise Financial for $315 million.[20] At the time, the unit managed $30 billion in assets and employed 900 financial advisors in the U.S.[20]

RSM McGladrey Business Solutions was created in 1999 when H&R Block acquired the assets of McGladrey & Pullen, aside from its auditors and attest services which remained under ownership of McGladrey's partners.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). Following the acquisition H&R Block became the sixth-largest accounting firm in the U.S.[21] McGladrey had 100 offices in 25 states and offered accounting, consulting, tax services, and international business services to mid-sized companies. Through an alliance with McGladrey & Pullen and other accountancies, the Block subsidiary operated in 70 countries under the RSM International name. In 2011, H&R Block sold the unit back to McGladrey & Pullen.[22]

In August 2005, H&R Block announced that it had overstated its earnings for 2003 and 2004 by $91.1 million. The company stated that it had "insufficient resources" to identify and report complex transactions in its corporate tax accounting. On February 23, 2006, the company said in its quarterly results that it had miscalculated its own state income taxes for 2005 and 2004, and that it owed an additional $32 million in back taxes.[23][24]

In December 2005, H&R Block sent its customers free copies of its TaxCut software, and the mailing labels on the packages mistakenly included the recipients' Social Security numbers. The company said it sent the promotional mailing to former customers and people whose names were taken from purchased lists. It said it is legally required to hold on to customers' tax information, including Social Security numbers, for three years. H&R Block said no customer data has been lost or stolen as a result of the mistake, and that less than 3 percent of the mailings were involved.[25]

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer sued H&R Block in February 2006, alleging the company's refund anticipation loan (RAL) business violated state and federal laws in its marketing and providing of high-cost RALs mainly to low-income clients. The company responded that it "believes the refund lending program is both fair and legal, and will vigorously defend against the complaint". On January 2, 2009, California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. reached a $4.85 million settlement with H&R Block, which prohibits the company from deceptively marketing high-cost refund anticipation loans as early "tax refunds". The company set aside $2.45 million in restitution for customers if they purchased a "refund anticipation loan" or a "refund anticipation check" through H&R Block between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2008. In addition, H&R Block agreed to pay $500,000 in penalties and $1.9 million in fees and costs.[26][27] In 2011, H&R Block ceased offering RALs altogether, a move praised by consumer rights activists.[28]

On March 16, 2006, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer sued H&R Block, accusing the company of deceptive marketing of its Express IRA retirement accounts. The lawsuit alleged the company assessed fees, including set-up fees, annual fees, and account closing fees that, for 85% of account holders, resulted in the account losing money.[29] However, in July 2007, a New York state judge dismissed much of the lawsuit.[30] Justice Karla Moskowitz of the State Supreme Court excused Block and five of its units from the lawsuit. She let stand the portion of the complaint concerning another unit, H&R Block Financial Advisers, but dismissed allegations of common law fraud. At the time of the ruling, H&R Block said it believed the remaining assertions lacked merit and that it would appeal. On January 6, 2009, a New York state appeals court overruled trial justice Karla Moskowitz's July 2007 ruling and reinstated the lawsuit against H&R Block Inc that accused the company of fraudulently marketing Express IRA retirement accounts to hundreds of thousands of lower-income clients nationwide.[31] The matter was settled in 2009, and H&R Block agreed to pay $11.4 million to $19.4 million of fees to customers and $750,000 in fees and other costs.[32]

H&R Block hired Jeff Jones, a former Target Corporation and Uber executive, as president and CEO on October 9, 2017.[33][34] He replaced Tom Gerke, who was interim CEO following the retirement of former CEO Bill Cobb.[33][35] Jones has said he sees H&R Block as a financial services company and a retail company, and aims to grow the company.[35][34]
Markup

==History==
===Early history===
During [[World War II]], [[Henry W. Bloch]] was a young [[United States Army Air Forces|Army Air Forces]] navigator who wanted to start a family business with his brothers in Kansas City.<ref name="happy returns">[http://www.henrybloch.com henrybloch.com], Many Happy Returns, Thomas M. Bloch, 2010.</ref> Home from the war in 1946, Henry saw a pamphlet suggesting a bright future for companies serving small businesses, and it sparked his imagination.<ref name="happy returns" /> That year, Henry and his older brother, Leon, borrowed $5,000 and opened a small [[bookkeeping]] business on Main Street in downtown Kansas City.<ref name="happy returns" /> However, four months later, they had few clients and Leon decided to seek a [[law degree]].<ref name="happy returns" />

Henry wanted to keep trying with the fledgling business and placed a newspaper ad for help-wanted.<ref name="happy returns" /> He got an unexpected response—from his mother—who proposed that Henry hire his younger brother, [[Richard Bloch|Richard]], for the job.<ref name="happy returns" /> Henry and Richard Bloch jointly ran their United Business Company, which focused on accounting, bookkeeping and payroll, but also did some income tax work for clients.<ref name="Dornbrook6Aug14">{{cite news |title=H&R Block turns attention to small biz accounting services |last1=Dornbrook |first1=James |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=5CVC-R5V1-JCPJ-W0KH&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=[[American City Business Journals|Kansas City Business Journal]] |date=6 August 2014 |accessdate=26 February 2018}}</ref> The brothers took out an ad for its $5 tax services in [[The Kansas City Star]] newspaper in 1955. The ad was a success and H&R Block was born.<ref name="Tavernise04">{{cite news |title=Richard Bloch, 78, businessman who helped create H&R Block |last1=Tavernise |first1=Sabrina |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/22/business/richard-bloch-78-businessman-who-helped-create-h-r-block.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=22 July 2004 |accessdate=21 February 2018}}</ref><ref name="CNNMoney00">{{cite news |title=H&R Block founder to retire |url=http://money.cnn.com/2000/06/21/companies/hrblock/ |newspaper=[[CNNMoney]] |date=21 June 2000 |accessdate=21 February 2018}}</ref> The Bloch brothers chose to spell the name "Block" with a K to ensure the name is not mispronounced "blotch".<ref name="Tavernise04"/><ref>{{cite news| url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1154/is_v75/ai_4722544/ | work=Nation's Business | title=Bloch that IRS return — H&R Block Inc.'s income tax preparation service | first=William | last=Hoffer | year=1987}}{{Dead link|date=February 2013}}</ref>

In 1956, the Blochs decided to expand and picked [[New York City]].<ref name="CNNMoney00"/> Neither brother wanted to move to New York, so they agreed to sell that regional operation, creating the first H&R Block [[Chain store|franchise]] tax office.<ref name="Herron17">{{cite web |url=http://www.franchising-today.com/sections/profiles/206-h-r-block |title=H&R Block |author=Bianca Herron |date=27 March 2017 |publisher=Franchising Today |accessdate=21 February 2018}}</ref> In the following years, H&R Block grew and went public in 1962.<ref name="Tavernise04"/>

In 1980 H&R Block purchased the [[Compuserve]] online service.<ref name="GlobeandMail80">{{cite news |title=International company news: H&R Block |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4MBD-SF80-TXJ2-N130&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=[[Globe and Mail]] |date=26 February 1980 |quote=Directors of H and R Block Inc. of Kansas City, Mo., and Compuserve Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, have approved the acquisition of Compuserve by a subsidiary of Block. |registration=Yes |accessdate=21 February 2018}}</ref> By 1986, Block was handling more than 10 million tax returns annually and had opened offices in [[Canada]] and [[Australia]].<ref name="Grove86">{{cite news |title=H&R |last1=Grove |first1=Lloyd |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/04/04/h38/5b5bb647-075d-4d99-8c2e-f44e8a9dc773/?utm_term=.0b26f5d9877c |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=4 April 1986 |accessdate=21 February 2018}}</ref><ref name="Brett86">{{cite news |title=Mixed news on tax front |last1=Brett |first1=George |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3WJ6-18H0-00RK-C3B4&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |date=6 April 1986 |quote=But annuity broker Tom Delaney was surprised to find that H & R Block Canada Inc., the big tax-preparation firm, had completed a tax return for one of his senior-citizen clients - and charged her $20.80 - even though she wasn't taxable and wasn't getting money back. |registration=Yes |accessdate=21 February 2018}}</ref><ref name="Lampe90">{{cite news |title=How to avoid the clutches of the rogue tax agent |last1=Lampe |first1=Anne |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4P7M-CV10-TXN5-R3BF&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=8 August 1990 |quote=This is what happened with a group of clients of H & R Block's former Brookvale franchisee during 1986, 1987 and 1988. |registration=Yes |accessdate=21 February 2018}}</ref> That year, the company worked with the [[Internal Revenue Service]] to introduce [[IRS e-file|electronic filing]].<ref name="Mace85">{{cite news |title=IRS test project allows electronic tax returns |last1=Mace |first1=Scott |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3S51-H8N0-001K-W2WJ&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=[[InfoWorld]] |date=25 November 1985 |quote=H&R Block Inc. of Kansas City, Missouri, is the first tax preparation service to announce participation in the IRS project. Between January 1 and April 15 of next year, customers of designated H&R Block offices can use H&R Block's Rapid Refund service, said Thomas Bloch, president of tax operations for the firm. Such customers have the option of either paying H&R Block to prepare the return or bringing in one already prepared. |registration=Yes |accessdate=21 February 2018}}</ref>

[[File:H&R Block in Gillette, Wyoming.jpg|thumb|left|An H&R Block in [[Gillette, Wyoming]]]]

===Recent history===
H&R Block acquired MECA Software, the company that created the TaxCut software, in 1993.<ref name="Schifrin93">{{cite news |title=H&R Block's crown jewel |last1=Schifrin |first1=Matthew |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3SJB-3GS0-0019-F32C&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=[[Forbes]] |date=6 December 1993 |quote=Anderson has gotten the company moving fast in the new direction. In October, Block announced it would pay $ 44 million for ailing Fairfield, Conn.-based MECA Software, Inc., a company whose main products include TaxCut, Andrew J. Tobias' Managing Your Money and Fidelity Online Express. |registration=Yes |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref> In 1995, H&R Block sold MECA, <ref name="Fisher95">{{cite news |title=2 banks to buy Meca Software for personal financial program |last1=Fisher |first1=Lawrence M. |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/11/business/2-banks-to-buy-meca-software-for-personal-financial-program.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=11 May 1995 |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref> but retained TaxCut.<ref name="NYT95">{{cite news |title=H&R Block sells personal finance software holding |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/29/business/company-news-h-r-block-sells-personal-finance-software-holding.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=29 March 1995 |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref>

The company began to expand in the 1990s into the financial services arena, offering mortgage loans,<ref name="Hallinan02">{{cite news |title=H&R Block faces issues with mortgage business |last1=Hallinan |first1=Joseph T. |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB103706997739674188 |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=12 November 2002 |quote=Bears contend that Block has limited experience in the mortgage business. It bought Option One in 1997, and Option One in Irvine, Calif., has itself been in business only since 1993. |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref> banking and business services.<ref name="AP19Aug99">{{cite news |title=Block has first-quarter losses of $37.1 million |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3X6X-7DC0-00HV-62X5&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=[[The Associated Press]] |date=19 August 1999 |quote=In June, Block purchased McGladrey & Pullen LLP, the nation's seventh-largest accounting firm, for $ 240 million. The company said that purchase has pushed revenue for its business services to $ 24.2 million during the first quarter, compared to $ 1.3 million last year. Including McGladrey & Pullen, H&R Block has acquired eight accounting firms since May 1998. |registration=Yes |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref> H&R Block purchased Olde Discount Stockbrokers in 1999<ref name="AP1Dec99">{{cite news |title=H&R Block buys discount broker |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3Y13-17W0-009F-S0RT&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=[[The Associated Press]] |date=1 December 1999 |quote=Tax preparer H&R Block has completed its $850 million purchase of Olde Financial Corp., the nation's fourth-largest discount broker. |registration=Yes |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref> and operated as a full-service securities broker-dealer under the name H&R Block Financial Advisors. In 2008, the company sold its H&R Block Financial Advisors unit to [[Ameriprise Financial]] for $315 million.<ref name="Dealbook08">{{cite news |title=H&R Block sells brokerage business to Ameriprise |url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/hr-block-sells-brokerage-business-to-ameriprise/ |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=13 August 2008 |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref> At the time, the unit managed $30 billion in assets and employed 900 financial advisors in the U.S.<ref name="Dealbook08"/>

RSM McGladrey Business Solutions was created in 1999 when H&R Block acquired the assets of [[McGladrey |McGladrey & Pullen]], aside from its auditors and attest services which remained under ownership of McGladrey's partners.<ref name="GlobeandMail30June99"><ref>{{cite news |title=RSM McGladrey, H&R Block, McGladrey & Pullen Expected to Announce Deal |author=Michael Cohn |url=https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/rsm-mcgladrey-h-amp-r-block-mcgladrey-amp-pullen-expected-to-announce-deal |work=[[Accounting Today]] |date=9 December 2009 |accessdate=10 April 2018}}</ref> Following the acquisition H&R Block became the sixth-largest accounting firm in the U.S.<ref name="GlobeandMail30June99">{{cite news |title=H&R Block to buy McGladrey & Pullen Cash, debt deal to make tax giant 6th-largest U.S. accounting firm |url=https://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4M8C-DTH0-TW7J-32B0&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=30 June 1999 |quote=H&R Block Inc. announced that it is buying McGladrey & Pullen LLP,a Bloomington, Minn. accounting firm, effectively making the tax preparation giant the sixth-largest U.S. accounting firm. |registration=Yes |accessdate=26 February 2018}}</ref> McGladrey had 100 offices in 25 states and offered accounting, consulting, tax services, and international business services to mid-sized companies. Through an alliance with McGladrey & Pullen and other accountancies, the Block subsidiary operated in 70 countries under the RSM International name. In 2011, H&R Block sold the unit back to McGladrey & Pullen.<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2011/12/01/McGladrey-completes-purchase.html Kansas City Business Journal | date=Dec. 1, 2011]</ref>

In August 2005, H&R Block announced that it had overstated its earnings for 2003 and 2004 by $91.1 million. The company stated that it had "insufficient resources" to identify and report complex transactions in its corporate tax accounting. On February 23, 2006, the company said in its quarterly results that it had miscalculated its own state income taxes for 2005 and 2004, and that it owed an additional $32 million in back taxes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/12659/000095013408012051/c27745e10vk.htm#114 |title=Financial Statements and Supplementary Data |publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission |date= |accessdate=2011-11-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,185912,00.html | work=Fox News | title=H&R Block Flubs Its Own Taxes – Fox News | date=2011-10-21}}</ref>

In December 2005, H&R Block sent its customers free copies of its TaxCut software, and the mailing labels on the packages mistakenly included the recipients' [[Social Security number]]s. The company said it sent the promotional mailing to former customers and people whose names were taken from purchased lists. It said it is legally required to hold on to customers' tax information, including Social Security numbers, for three years. H&R Block said no customer data has been lost or stolen as a result of the mistake, and that less than 3 percent of the mailings were involved.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2006-01-04-hr-block-privacy_x.htm |title=H&R Block makes error in software mailing |publisher=USA Today |date=2006-01-04 |accessdate=2011-11-14 |first=David |last=Twiddy}}</ref>

California Attorney General [[Bill Lockyer]] sued H&R Block in February 2006, alleging the company's [[refund anticipation loan]] (RAL) business violated state and federal laws in its marketing and providing of high-cost RALs mainly to low-income clients. The company responded that it "believes the refund lending program is both fair and legal, and will vigorously defend against the complaint". On January 2, 2009, California Attorney General [[Edmund G. Brown Jr.]] reached a $4.85 million settlement with H&R Block, which prohibits the company from deceptively marketing high-cost refund anticipation loans as early "[[tax refund]]s". The company set aside $2.45 million in restitution for customers if they purchased a "refund anticipation loan" or a "[[refund anticipation check]]" through H&R Block between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2008. In addition, H&R Block agreed to pay $500,000 in penalties and $1.9 million in fees and costs.<ref>{{cite news|author=Jerry LaMartina |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2006/02/13/daily27.html |title=AG sues H&R Block over refund-anticipation loans - Sacramento Business Journal |publisher=Sacramento Business Journal |date= 2006-02-15|accessdate=2011-11-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/release.php?id=1645& |title=Attorney General Brown Reaches Agreement with H&R Block Prohibiting Deceptive Marketing of Tax Refund Loans |publisher=Office of the Attorney General, State of California Department of Justice |date=2009-01-02 |accessdate=2011-11-14}}</ref> In 2011, H&R Block ceased offering RALs altogether, a move praised by consumer rights activists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/pr_AdvocatesApplaudBlockDroppingRALs_%2091411_FINAL.pdf|title=Consumer Advocates Applaud H&R Block Decision to Forego RALs and Urge Republic, Jackson Hewitt and Liberty to Stop Making High Cost Loans - Consumer Federation of America|date= 2011-09-14}}</ref>

On March 16, 2006, New York Attorney General [[Eliot Spitzer]] sued H&R Block, accusing the company of deceptive marketing of its Express IRA retirement accounts. The lawsuit alleged the company assessed fees, including set-up fees, annual fees, and account closing fees that, for 85% of account holders, resulted in the account losing money.<ref>[http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/15/news/companies/spitzer_hr/index.htm Spitzer brings fraud suit against H&R Block], CNN Money, David Ellis, March 16, 2006. “ . . One unnamed 32-year-old from Albany, NY resident cited in the complaint opened an Express IRA account in 2002 with the minimum contribution of $300. The account earned $10.29 in interest over the past four years; the account holder paid $45 in fees over that same period of time. . ”</ref> However, in July 2007, a New York state judge dismissed much of the lawsuit.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/13/business/13block.html?ei=5070&en=f29e6b0cd7f64a38&ex=1187841600&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1187723033-Eyxga0Fp+hnKngZZDBNMig |title=Judge Mostly Clears Block |publisher=The New York Times |date=2007-07-13 |accessdate=2011-11-14}}</ref> Justice Karla Moskowitz of the State Supreme Court excused Block and five of its units from the lawsuit. She let stand the portion of the complaint concerning another unit, H&R Block Financial Advisers, but dismissed allegations of common law fraud. At the time of the ruling, H&R Block said it believed the remaining assertions lacked merit and that it would appeal. On January 6, 2009, a New York state appeals court overruled trial justice Karla Moskowitz's July 2007 ruling and reinstated the lawsuit against H&R Block Inc that accused the company of fraudulently marketing Express IRA retirement accounts to hundreds of thousands of lower-income clients nationwide.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5075Y120090108 |title=N.Y. court reinstates IRA lawsuit against H&R Block |publisher=Reuters |date= 2009-01-08|accessdate=2011-11-14}}</ref> The matter was settled in 2009, and H&R Block agreed to pay $11.4 million to $19.4 million of fees to customers and $750,000 in fees and other costs.<ref name="Stempel10">{{cite news |title=H&R Block settles nationwide IRA lawsuit |last1=Stempel |first1=Jonathan |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hrblock-cuomo-settlement/hr-block-settles-nationwide-ira-lawsuit-idUSTRE60348120100104 |newspaper=[[Reuters]] |date=4 January 2010 |accessdate=1 March 2018}}</ref>

H&R Block hired Jeff Jones, a former [[Target Corporation]] and [[Uber]] executive, as president and CEO on October 9, 2017.<ref name="Reuters17">{{cite news |title=H&R Block names former Uber executive Jeff Jones as CEO |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-h-r-block-ceo/hr-block-names-former-uber-executive-jeff-jones-as-ceo-idUSKCN1B21JI?il=0 |newspaper=[[Reuters]] |date=22 August 2017 |accessdate=14 December 2017}}</ref><ref name="Davis17">{{cite news |title=H&R Block taps former Uber president Jeff Jones as CEO |last1=Davis |first1=Mark |url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/business/personal-finance/article168575957.html |newspaper=[[The Kansas City Star]] |date=22 August 2017 |accessdate=14 December 2017}}</ref> He replaced Tom Gerke, who was interim CEO following the retirement of former CEO Bill Cobb.<ref name="Reuters17"/><ref name="Dornbrook17">{{cite news |title=H&R Block names former Uber president as its new CEO |last1=Dornbrook |first1=James |last2=Kaberline |first2=Brian |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2017/08/22/h-r-block-ceo-jeff-jones.html |newspaper=[[American City Business Journals|Kansas City Business Journal]] |date=22 August 2017 |accessdate=14 December 2017}}</ref> Jones has said he sees H&R Block as a [[financial services]] company and a [[retail]] company, and aims to grow the company.<ref name="Dornbrook17"/><ref name="Davis17"/>
References

References

  1. ^ "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data". United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  2. ^ "H&R Block Flubs Its Own Taxes – Fox News". Fox News. 2011-10-21.
  3. ^ a b c d e f henrybloch.com, Many Happy Returns, Thomas M. Bloch, 2010.
  4. ^ Dornbrook, James (6 August 2014). "H&R Block turns attention to small biz accounting services". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Tavernise, Sabrina (22 July 2004). "Richard Bloch, 78, businessman who helped create H&R Block". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  6. ^ a b "H&R Block founder to retire". CNNMoney. 21 June 2000. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  7. ^ Hoffer, William (1987). "Bloch that IRS return — H&R Block Inc.'s income tax preparation service". Nation's Business.[dead link]
  8. ^ Bianca Herron (27 March 2017). "H&R Block". Franchising Today. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  9. ^ "International company news: H&R Block". Globe and Mail. 26 February 1980. Retrieved 21 February 2018. Directors of H and R Block Inc. of Kansas City, Mo., and Compuserve Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, have approved the acquisition of Compuserve by a subsidiary of Block. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |registration= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Grove, Lloyd (4 April 1986). "H&R". The Washington Post. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  11. ^ Brett, George (6 April 1986). "Mixed news on tax front". Toronto Star. Retrieved 21 February 2018. But annuity broker Tom Delaney was surprised to find that H & R Block Canada Inc., the big tax-preparation firm, had completed a tax return for one of his senior-citizen clients - and charged her $20.80 - even though she wasn't taxable and wasn't getting money back. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |registration= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Lampe, Anne (8 August 1990). "How to avoid the clutches of the rogue tax agent". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 February 2018. This is what happened with a group of clients of H & R Block's former Brookvale franchisee during 1986, 1987 and 1988. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |registration= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Mace, Scott (25 November 1985). "IRS test project allows electronic tax returns". InfoWorld. Retrieved 21 February 2018. H&R Block Inc. of Kansas City, Missouri, is the first tax preparation service to announce participation in the IRS project. Between January 1 and April 15 of next year, customers of designated H&R Block offices can use H&R Block's Rapid Refund service, said Thomas Bloch, president of tax operations for the firm. Such customers have the option of either paying H&R Block to prepare the return or bringing in one already prepared. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |registration= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Schifrin, Matthew (6 December 1993). "H&R Block's crown jewel". Forbes. Retrieved 22 February 2018. Anderson has gotten the company moving fast in the new direction. In October, Block announced it would pay $ 44 million for ailing Fairfield, Conn.-based MECA Software, Inc., a company whose main products include TaxCut, Andrew J. Tobias' Managing Your Money and Fidelity Online Express. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |registration= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ Fisher, Lawrence M. (11 May 1995). "2 banks to buy Meca Software for personal financial program". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  16. ^ "H&R Block sells personal finance software holding". The New York Times. 29 March 1995. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  17. ^ Hallinan, Joseph T. (12 November 2002). "H&R Block faces issues with mortgage business". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 22 February 2018. Bears contend that Block has limited experience in the mortgage business. It bought Option One in 1997, and Option One in Irvine, Calif., has itself been in business only since 1993.
  18. ^ "Block has first-quarter losses of $37.1 million". The Associated Press. 19 August 1999. Retrieved 22 February 2018. In June, Block purchased McGladrey & Pullen LLP, the nation's seventh-largest accounting firm, for $ 240 million. The company said that purchase has pushed revenue for its business services to $ 24.2 million during the first quarter, compared to $ 1.3 million last year. Including McGladrey & Pullen, H&R Block has acquired eight accounting firms since May 1998. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |registration= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "H&R Block buys discount broker". The Associated Press. 1 December 1999. Retrieved 22 February 2018. Tax preparer H&R Block has completed its $850 million purchase of Olde Financial Corp., the nation's fourth-largest discount broker. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |registration= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ a b "H&R Block sells brokerage business to Ameriprise". The New York Times. 13 August 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  21. ^ "H&R Block to buy McGladrey & Pullen Cash, debt deal to make tax giant 6th-largest U.S. accounting firm". The Globe and Mail. 30 June 1999. Retrieved 26 February 2018. H&R Block Inc. announced that it is buying McGladrey & Pullen LLP,a Bloomington, Minn. accounting firm, effectively making the tax preparation giant the sixth-largest U.S. accounting firm. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |registration= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ Kansas City Business Journal | date=Dec. 1, 2011
  23. ^ "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data". United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  24. ^ "H&R Block Flubs Its Own Taxes – Fox News". Fox News. 2011-10-21.
  25. ^ Twiddy, David (2006-01-04). "H&R Block makes error in software mailing". USA Today. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  26. ^ Jerry LaMartina (2006-02-15). "AG sues H&R Block over refund-anticipation loans - Sacramento Business Journal". Sacramento Business Journal. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  27. ^ "Attorney General Brown Reaches Agreement with H&R Block Prohibiting Deceptive Marketing of Tax Refund Loans". Office of the Attorney General, State of California Department of Justice. 2009-01-02. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  28. ^ "Consumer Advocates Applaud H&R Block Decision to Forego RALs and Urge Republic, Jackson Hewitt and Liberty to Stop Making High Cost Loans - Consumer Federation of America" (PDF). 2011-09-14.
  29. ^ Spitzer brings fraud suit against H&R Block, CNN Money, David Ellis, March 16, 2006. “ . . One unnamed 32-year-old from Albany, NY resident cited in the complaint opened an Express IRA account in 2002 with the minimum contribution of $300. The account earned $10.29 in interest over the past four years; the account holder paid $45 in fees over that same period of time. . ”
  30. ^ "Judge Mostly Clears Block". The New York Times. 2007-07-13. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  31. ^ "N.Y. court reinstates IRA lawsuit against H&R Block". Reuters. 2009-01-08. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  32. ^ Stempel, Jonathan (4 January 2010). "H&R Block settles nationwide IRA lawsuit". Reuters. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  33. ^ a b "H&R Block names former Uber executive Jeff Jones as CEO". Reuters. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  34. ^ a b Davis, Mark (22 August 2017). "H&R Block taps former Uber president Jeff Jones as CEO". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  35. ^ a b Dornbrook, James; Kaberline, Brian (22 August 2017). "H&R Block names former Uber president as its new CEO". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 14 December 2017.

Since I do have a financial conflict of interest, I won't edit the article myself and am looking for an uninvolved editors to review and make changes as appropriate. Whoisjohngalt: Pinging you again in case you would you like to review this request as well? Thanks in advance! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 14:48, 25 May 2018 (UTC)

Thank you so much to Whoisjohngalt for another close review and for making these edits. Two things to follow up on: it looks like when you copied and pasted, it accidentally brought over some unwanted text. Can you delete the following text, which now appears at the end of the introduction?
Cobb.[33][35] Jones has said he sees H&R Block as a financial services company and a retail company, and aims to grow the company.[35][34] Markup
Also, the article still contains the Controversies section. That content has been wrapped into History, so there is now duplication between the two. Do you feel comfortable deleting the existing Controversies section? (In the full request above, I've explained my thoughts on moving the details into History and deleting, in case you wanted to look through that again.)
Thanks again! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 13:16, 30 May 2018 (UTC)
Good morning 16912 Rhiannon. I needed to leave the controversies in for a bit (for my own mind) and then I forgot them. Thanks for doing a great neutral job when writing.Whoisjohngalt (talk) 13:59, 30 May 2018 (UTC)
Ah, totally understood and thanks for coming back so quickly to take a look at that, as well I see that you'd removed the warning tag, which is great. I have just a couple more suggestions for this page to come soon, but it's already looking so muhc better. Thanks! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 17:23, 1 June 2018 (UTC)

Request for Corporate affairs

Hi again! On behalf of H&R Block (via PR agency Ketchum, as part of my work at Beutler Ink), I'm back to request a new section be added to this article to discuss the company's Corporate affairs. The body of this article is currently missing key details on H&R Block's governance, high-profile marketing campaigns, and its charitable efforts.

You can find my draft below, along with the markup, and references. My suggestion is to place this all-new section between History and Business areas. These are the main additions I am proposing:

  • Location of H&R Block's headquarters and its place in an effort to revitalize downtown Kansas City
  • Corporate governance and leadership
  • The number of regular full-time and seasonal employees
  • Annual revenue
  • Mention of the Tax Institute at H&R Block
  • A Marketing subsection that focuses on H&R Block's high-profile media campaigns that have been covered in independent sources
  • A Corporate social responsibility subsection briefly mentioning H&R Block's free tax services in connection with the United Way, Free File Alliance, and Military One Source, in addition to its financial literacy campaigns for students, all of which is referenced to Wikipedia-appropriate sourcing
Proposed Corporate affairs
Corporate affairs

H&R Block is headquartered at 13th and Main streets, Kansas City, Missouri, in a building constructed downtown in the 2000s as part of an effort to revitalize the city's downtown.[1] The company is governed by an 11-member board of directors.[2] Jeff Jones is CEO. Tony Bowen is CFO.[3] As of 2017, H&R Block employs 2,300 regular full-time employees, and as many as 87,500 including seasonal employees.[4]: 5  It generates about $3 billion annually in revenue.[4]: 20  The company also runs The Tax Institute at H&R Block.[5]

Marketing

The brand has undertaken several high-profile marketing campaigns, including television commercials featuring actor Jon Hamm and NBA player Anthony Davis.[6][7] H&R Block's "Get Your Billions Back, America" campaign started in 2014. It featured Richard Gartland, a real H&R Block tax professional known for wearing bow ties. The campaign focused on urging taxpayers to seek their full potential refund at tax time.[8][9] Anthony Davis, a power forward and center with the New Orleans Pelicans, became a spokesman for H&R Block in 2015.[7] The company first aired ads featuring Mad Men actor Jon Hamm in 2017, using the tagline "Get your taxes won", in a 12-spot campaign that was the largest in H&R Block's history.[6] Hamm returned as H&R Block's spokesman in 2018 with a new campaign throughout the tax season.[10]

From 2009 to 2016, the company did not advertise during the Super Bowl. It returned in 2017 with an ad featuring H&R Block's partnership with IBM Watson at its retail locations.[11][12]

Corporate social responsibility

The company partners with United Way MyFreeTaxes to offer its software for free state and federal tax returns.[13] H&R Block is also a member of the Free File Alliance, a consortium of commercial tax preparers and the IRS offering free-tax-prep for low-income and moderate-income taxpayers,[14] and Military One Source, which lets members of the military service file for free.[15]

As part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives, in 2014 H&R Block launched an online game for high school students called the Budget Challenge. [16] The challenge is part of the company's Dollars & Sense financial literacy effort, and offers college scholarships for teenage students who win the game.[17]
Markup

==Corporate affairs==
H&R Block is headquartered at 13th and Main streets, Kansas City, Missouri, in a building constructed downtown in the 2000s as part of an effort to revitalize the city's downtown.<ref name="LaMartina04">{{cite news |title=KC will break ground Sept. 15 on Block HQ |last1=LaMartina |first1=Jerry |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2004/08/02/daily7.html |newspaper=[[American City Business Journals|Kansas City Business Journal]] |date=2 August 2004 |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref> The company is governed by an 11-member board of directors.<ref name="Directors">{{cite web |url=https://www.hrblock.com/tax-center/board-of-directors/ |title=Board of directors |publisher=H&R Block |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref> Jeff Jones is CEO. Tony Bowen is [[chief financial officer|CFO]].<ref name="Sheetz17">{{cite news |title=H&R Block shares rally after CEO says a changing tax code has always been good for business |last1=Sheetz |first1=Michael |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/06/hr-block-ceo-says-a-changing-tax-code-has-always-been-good-for-business.html |newspaper=[[CNBC]] |date=6 December 2017 |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref> {{As of|2017}}, H&R Block employs 2,300 regular full-time employees, and as many as 87,500 including seasonal employees.<ref name="10k17"/>{{rp|5}} It generates about $3 billion annually in revenue.<ref name="10k17"/>{{rp|20}} The company also runs The Tax Institute at H&R Block.<ref name="Snider18">{{cite news |title=Everything you should know about tax refunds |last1=Snider |first1=Susannah |url=https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/taxes/articles/everything-you-should-know-about-tax-refunds |newspaper=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |date=7 February 2018 |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref>

===Marketing===
The brand has undertaken several high-profile marketing campaigns, including television commercials featuring actor [[Jon Hamm]] and [[NBA]] player [[Anthony Davis (basketball)|Anthony Davis]].<ref name="Birkner17"/><ref name="Zillgitt15"/> H&R Block's "Get Your Billions Back, America" campaign started in 2014. It featured Richard Gartland, a real H&R Block tax professional known for wearing bow ties. The campaign focused on urging taxpayers to seek their full potential refund at tax time.<ref name="Burns15">{{cite news |title=When H&R Block's Kathy Collins realized 'get Your Billions Back, America' catchphrase would go viral |last1=Burns |first1=Hilary |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/profiles-strategies/2015/03/when-h-r-block-s-kathy-collins-realized-get-your.html?page=all |newspaper=[[American City Business Journals|Bizwomen]] |date=13 March 2015 |accessdate=25 February 2018}}</ref><ref name="Rodriguez15">{{cite news |title=H&R Block ushers in 'refund season' with slew of new ads |last1=Rodriguez |first1=Ashley |url=http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/h-r-block-ushers-refund-season-slew-ads/296534/ |newspaper=[[Advertising Age]] |date=9 January 2015 |accessdate=25 February 2018}}</ref> Anthony Davis, a [[power forward]] and [[center (basketball)|center]] with the [[New Orleans Pelicans]], became a spokesman for H&R Block in 2015.<ref name="Zillgitt15">{{cite news |title=Pelicans' Anthony Davis lands new endorsement deal with H&R Block |last1=Zillgitt |first1=Jeff |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/pelicans/2015/12/20/anthony-davis-hr-block-new-endorsement-deal-pelicans/77678254/ |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=20 December 2015 |accessdate=25 February 2018}}</ref> The company first aired ads featuring ''[[Mad Men]]'' actor Jon Hamm in 2017, using the tagline "Get your taxes won", in a 12-spot campaign that was the largest in H&R Block's history.<ref name="Birkner17">{{cite news |title=H&R Block's CMO on Jon Hamm and why he's the perfect tax-season spokesperson |last1=Birkner |first1=Christine |url=http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/hr-blocks-cmo-jon-hamm-and-why-hes-perfect-tax-season-spokesperson-175467/ |newspaper=[[Adweek]] |date=10 January 2017 |accessdate=23 February 2018}}</ref> Hamm returned as H&R Block's spokesman in 2018 with a new campaign throughout the tax season.<ref name="Gazdik17">{{cite news |title=H&R Block brings back Jon Hamm |last1=Gazdik |first1=Tanya |url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/312144/hr-block-brings-back-jon-hamm.html |newspaper=[[MediaPost]] |date=26 December 2017 |accessdate=23 February 2018}}</ref>

From 2009 to 2016, the company did not advertise during the [[Super Bowl]]. It returned in 2017 with an ad featuring H&R Block's partnership with [[IBM Watson]] at its retail locations.<ref name="Pasquarelli17">{{cite news |title=H&R Block's Super Bowl pitch: Now Watson can do your taxes |last1=Pasquarelli |first1=Adrianne |url=http://adage.com/article/super-bowl/h-r-block-returns-super-bowl-tout-ibm-watson-deal/307800/ |newspaper=[[Advertising Age]] |date=2 February 2017 |accessdate=26 February 2018}}</ref><ref name="Tompor17">{{cite news |title=H&R Block teams with IBM Watson to tackle tax returns |last1=Tompor |first1=Susan |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2017/02/01/hr-block-teams-ibm-watson-tackle-tax-returns/97335852/ |newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]] |date=1 February 2017 |accessdate=26 February 2018}}</ref>

===Corporate social responsibility===
The company partners with [[United Way]] MyFreeTaxes to offer its software for free state and federal tax returns.<ref name="Gallagher16">{{cite news |title=The good news — and not-so-good news — about filing taxes this year |last1=Gallagher |first1=Jim |url=http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/the-good-news-and-not-so-good-news-about-filing/article_a755d0d5-403a-5323-9a4c-79150ab51684.html |newspaper=[[St. Louis Dispatch]] |date=14 February 2016 |accessdate=26 February 2018}}</ref> H&R Block is also a member of the [[Free File Alliance]], a consortium of commercial tax preparers and the IRS offering free-tax-prep for low-income and moderate-income taxpayers,<ref name="Snider17">{{cite news |title=How to file your taxes for free |last1=Snider |first1=Susannah |url=https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/taxes/articles/2017-03-07/how-to-file-your-taxes-for-free |newspaper=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |date=7 March 2017 |accessdate=26 February 2018}}</ref> and Military One Source, which lets members of the military service file for free.<ref name="Ferdinando16">{{cite web |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/643423/free-tax-services-available-to-military-members-families/ |title=Free tax services available to military members, families |author=Lisa Ferdinando |date=17 January 2016 |publisher=[[U.S. Department of Defense]] |accessdate=26 February 2018}}</ref>

As part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives, in 2014 H&R Block launched an online game for high school students called the Budget Challenge. <ref name="Kadlec14">{{cite news |title=Ace a personal finance game, win a college scholarship |last1=Kadlec |first1=Dan |url=http://time.com/money/3306372/financial-education-college-scholarship-hr-block/ |newspaper=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=9 September 2014 |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref> The challenge is part of the company's Dollars & Sense financial literacy effort, and offers college scholarships for teenage students who win the game.<ref name="McCabe16">{{cite news |title=H&R Block rolls out 'Budget Challenge' game for 2016, offers $200K in college scholarships |last1=McCabe |first1=Sean |url=https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/h-amp-r-block-rolls-out-budget-challenge-game-for-2016-offers-200k-in-college-scholarships |newspaper=Accounting Today |date=31 August 2016 |accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref>
References

References

  1. ^ LaMartina, Jerry (2 August 2004). "KC will break ground Sept. 15 on Block HQ". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Board of directors". H&R Block. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  3. ^ Sheetz, Michael (6 December 2017). "H&R Block shares rally after CEO says a changing tax code has always been good for business". CNBC. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  4. ^ a b "2017 Form 10-K". H&R Block. 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  5. ^ Snider, Susannah (7 February 2018). "Everything you should know about tax refunds". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  6. ^ a b Birkner, Christine (10 January 2017). "H&R Block's CMO on Jon Hamm and why he's the perfect tax-season spokesperson". Adweek. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  7. ^ a b Zillgitt, Jeff (20 December 2015). "Pelicans' Anthony Davis lands new endorsement deal with H&R Block". USA Today. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  8. ^ Burns, Hilary (13 March 2015). "When H&R Block's Kathy Collins realized 'get Your Billions Back, America' catchphrase would go viral". Bizwomen. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  9. ^ Rodriguez, Ashley (9 January 2015). "H&R Block ushers in 'refund season' with slew of new ads". Advertising Age. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  10. ^ Gazdik, Tanya (26 December 2017). "H&R Block brings back Jon Hamm". MediaPost. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  11. ^ Pasquarelli, Adrianne (2 February 2017). "H&R Block's Super Bowl pitch: Now Watson can do your taxes". Advertising Age. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  12. ^ Tompor, Susan (1 February 2017). "H&R Block teams with IBM Watson to tackle tax returns". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  13. ^ Gallagher, Jim (14 February 2016). "The good news — and not-so-good news — about filing taxes this year". St. Louis Dispatch. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  14. ^ Snider, Susannah (7 March 2017). "How to file your taxes for free". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  15. ^ Lisa Ferdinando (17 January 2016). "Free tax services available to military members, families". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  16. ^ Kadlec, Dan (9 September 2014). "Ace a personal finance game, win a college scholarship". Time. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  17. ^ McCabe, Sean (31 August 2016). "H&R Block rolls out 'Budget Challenge' game for 2016, offers $200K in college scholarships". Accounting Today. Retrieved 22 February 2018.

Since I do have a financial conflict of interest, I won't edit the article myself and am looking for an uninvolved editors to review and make changes as appropriate. @Whoisjohngalt: Pinging you again. Do you have time for another review? Thanks in advance! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 17:35, 1 June 2018 (UTC)

Thank you so much again, Whoisjohngalt. Sorry for taking a little time to come back, as I've been under the weather. Now that all of the sections are completed, I'll be back soon with updates to the introduction. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:15, 6 June 2018 (UTC)

Request to update introduction

Hi there! On behalf of H&R Block (via their PR agency, Ketchum, as part of my work at Beutler Ink), I'm back with a request for the introduction of this article now that the other sections have been updated. You can find my draft below, along with the markup. This is intended to replace the existing introduction. I should note that there are no major issues with the current wording of the introduction and I'm not proposing any massive overhaul, these are just some tweaks to improve the flow, so it is hopefully a quick review for editors. These are the key changes I'm proposing in my draft:

  • Shuffling, rewriting, and reformatting some of the content to improve the flow
  • Adding wikilinks
  • Moving the company founders to the first paragraph
  • Replacing "currently" with "as of 2018"
Proposed updated introduction

H&R Block, Inc., or H&R Block, is an American tax preparation company operating in North America, Australia, and India. The company was founded in 1955 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. It also offers consumer tax software as well as online tax preparation and electronic filing from their website. The Kansas City-based company also offers payroll, and business consulting services.
Markup

'''H&R Block, Inc.''', or '''H&R Block''', is an American [[tax preparation]] company operating in [[North America]], [[Australia]], and [[India]]. The company was founded in 1955 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. It also offers consumer tax software as well as online tax preparation and [[IRS e-file|electronic filing]] from their website. The [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]]-based company also offers [[payroll]], and [[business consulting]] services.

Since I do have a financial conflict of interest, I won't edit the article myself and am looking for an uninvolved editors to review and make changes as appropriate. @Whoisjohngalt: Do you have time for another review? Thanks in advance! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 18:50, 11 June 2018 (UTC)

Thank you so much to Whoisjohngalt for reviewing and making these few updates! With that, my requests for this page are complete. Thanks again! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 18:54, 13 June 2018 (UTC)
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