H&R Block, Inc. is a publicly traded (NYSE: HRB) Missouri-incorporated tax-preparation company headquartered in Kansas City, whose mobile tax-filing app is published by its subsidiary HRB Tax Group, Inc. H&R Block's own website (hrblock.com) returned a bot-block (403) on every page tried under the pipeline user agent in this research and could not be cited directly; findings instead rely on the company's SEC Form 10-K, the FTC's own case pages, and the Apple App Store privacy label. The 10-K states the company collects and retains large amounts of client personal information including tax return data, financial product/service information and Social Security numbers, and separately notes that IRS rules require written taxpayer consent before using or disclosing tax return information for marketing, and that GLBA-style rules require an opt-out for nonpublic personal information shared with unaffiliated third parties. The App Store privacy label self-declares that Contact Info and Identifiers are used to track users across apps and websites owned by other companies. In January 2025 the FTC finalized an order requiring H&R Block to pay $7 million and overhaul its downgrade and 'free'-filing advertising practices, following a February 2024 complaint alleging deceptive 'free' claims and unfair deletion of consumers' entered tax data.
TRACK RECORD
1 ENFORCEMENT ACTION
[2025-01-01]
The FTC states it finalized an order in January 2025 requiring H&R Block to pay $7 million to compensate harmed consumers and to overhaul its advertising and customer-service practices for the 2025 and 2026 tax seasons, following a February 2024 administrative complaint alleging the company deceptively marketed 'free' tax filing and unfairly deleted consumers' previously entered tax data when they tried to downgrade products.
H&R Block's SEC Form 10-K (FY2025) states that due to the nature of its business, the company collects, uses and retains large amounts of personal information and data pertaining to clients, including tax return information, financial product and service information, and Social Security numbers, as well as employee personal information including Social Security numbers, healthcare information and payroll information.
The Apple App Store listing for the H&R Block Tax Prep and File app names the developer as 'HRB Tax Group, Inc.', identifying the specific operating subsidiary of H&R Block, Inc. that publishes the consumer tax-filing app.
H&R Block, Inc.'s SEC Form 10-K cover page states it is a Missouri corporation with principal executive offices at One H&R Block Way, Kansas City, Missouri, and identifies it as a registrant trading on the New York Stock Exchange (Commission file number 1-06089).
H&R Block's SEC Form 10-K states that the IRS generally requires a tax return preparer to obtain the taxpayer's written consent before using or disclosing tax return information for purposes other than tax return preparation, which the company says may limit its ability to market revenue-generating products, and separately notes that GLBA-style regulations require financial institutions to disclose a consumer privacy notice and provide an opt-out for nonpublic personal information disclosed to unaffiliated third parties.
The FTC states it finalized an order in January 2025 requiring H&R Block to pay $7 million to compensate harmed consumers and to overhaul its advertising and customer-service practices for the 2025 and 2026 tax seasons, following a February 2024 administrative complaint alleging the company deceptively marketed 'free' tax filing and unfairly deleted consumers' previously entered tax data when they tried to downgrade products.
The H&R Block Tax Prep and File app's Apple App Store privacy label self-declares a 'Data Used to Track You' category, stating that Contact Info and Identifiers may be used to track the user across apps and websites owned by other companies — the App Store category reserved for cross-app/cross-site tracking.