H&R Block Franchise Failure Rate
SBA 7(a) loan default data, FY2010–FY2019 · Updated 2026
H&R Block franchisees defaulted on 0.0% of SBA 7(a) loans between FY2010 and FY2019 — 0 of 41 loans were charged off — according to U.S. Small Business Administration data. That is lower than the Tax Preparation Services industry average of 9.7%.
- 0.0%SBA default rate0 of 41 loans
- 41loans resolvedapproved FY2010–FY2019
- 9.7%Tax Preparation Services averageall SBA loans in the industry
- 1st lowestindustry rankof 3 Tax Preparation Services brands
| SBA default rate | 0.0% |
|---|---|
| Loans approved | 41 |
| Loans charged off | 0 |
| Date range | FY2010–FY2019 |
| Industry | Tax Preparation Services |
| Industry average | 9.7% |
| Data source | U.S. SBA 7(a) FOIA loan data |
Most SBA default figures published online use loans approved since 2020 — loans that have had six years or less to fail — so those rates are floors, not outcomes. Every rate on this site is computed from the matured FY2010–FY2019 cohort: loans that have been paid in full or charged off, so the result is settled. Loans approved since 2020 are shown as counts so early charge-offs are visible without being mistaken for a rate.
Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026. Figures also in the comparison table below.
None of the 41 H&R Block SBA borrowers in the sample failed to repay — well below the Tax Preparation Services average of 9.7%.
What is the H&R Block franchise failure rate on SBA loans?
H&R Block is a Tax Preparation Services franchise. This page reports the outcome of every SBA 7(a) loan the U.S. Small Business Administration's public FOIA file attributes to H&R Block franchisees: 41 loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019, of which 0 were charged off. Loan statuses are as of June 30, 2026, and the cohort has matured, so these are settled outcomes rather than projections.
- SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY201941
- Charged off0
- Charge-off rate0.0%
- Tax Preparation Services franchise benchmark9.7%
- All-franchise SBA benchmark10.2%
- Average loan size, 2010s cohort$377,668
How does H&R Block compare with other Tax Preparation Services franchises?
The table sets H&R Block's charge-off rate beside its Tax Preparation Services peers and the two economy-wide benchmarks. All figures use the same cohort — SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019, statuses as of June 30, 2026 — and the same denominator of resolved loans, so they are directly comparable.
| Measure | H&R Block | Tax Preparation Services | All franchises | All SBA borrowers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default (charge-off) rate | 0.0% | 9.7% | 10.2% | 8.0% |
| Loans in sample | 41 | — | — | — |
| Defaults | 0 | — | — | — |
| Average loan size | $377,668 | — | — | — |
Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026.
Show the numbers behind this chart
| Fiscal year | Loans | Charged off | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2010 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2014 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2015 | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2016 | 11 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2017 | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2018 | 9 | 0 | 0.0% |
How to read this
A charge-off means a franchisee borrowed, operated, and failed severely enough that the SBA wrote off the government-guaranteed loan. Unlike franchisor marketing or Item 19 disclosures, this is an observed outcome recorded by a federal agency. One caveat cuts the other way: SBA borrowers are typically less capitalized than all-cash buyers, so these rates can overstate risk for well-funded operators.
How reliable is this number?
H&R Block's figure rests on 41 resolved SBA 7(a) loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019. That cohort has matured, so the rate is a settled outcome, not a projection. With 41 resolved loans, one default moves the rate by about 2.4 percentage points. Loans approved since 2020 are excluded from the rate because most are still outstanding; they appear on this page as counts only. Every H&R Block figure is recomputed from the public SBA FOIA file on each rebuild.
Based on 41 resolved loans — directional, not precise.
Is H&R Block in financial trouble? What the SBA data shows
H&R Block's SBA 7(a) default rate was 0.0% for loans approved FY2010–FY2019 (0 of 41 loans charged off) — the lowest of 3 Tax Preparation Services brands tracked here. A default rate this far below the Tax Preparation Services average of 9.7% is not, on its own, a sign of distress.
Frequently asked
- What is H&R Block's franchise failure rate?
- H&R Block franchisees defaulted on 0.0% of SBA 7(a) loans between FY2010 and FY2019 — 0 of 41 loans were charged off — according to U.S. Small Business Administration data. That is lower than the Tax Preparation Services industry average of 9.7%.
- How does H&R Block compare to other Tax Preparation Services franchises?
- H&R Block's 0.0% SBA default rate is lower than the Tax Preparation Services industry average of 9.7%. See every Tax Preparation Services franchise ranked on the Tax Preparation Services industry page. Tax Preparation Services franchises →
- What does 'SBA default rate' mean?
- An SBA default rate is the share of SBA 7(a) loans, approved FY2010–FY2019 and since resolved (paid in full or charged off), that were charged off — written off after the borrower failed to repay. It is not a measure of unit closures.
Source
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) loan program charge-off data, FY2010–FY2019. Franchise data is matched on the SBA's franchise code / brand name. "Failure rate" here means the share of approved loans (resolved: paid in full or charged off) that were charged off; it is not a measure of unit closures. Last updated September 30, 2026.
Every brand in one table, with percentiles and breakdowns by year, industry and loan size: franchise SBA default rates, all 415 brands.
Cite this page
Franchise Default Rates (2026). H&R Block franchise SBA 7(a) default rate, FY2010–FY2019 cohort: 0.0% (0 of 41 loans charged off). Derived from U.S. SBA FOIA data, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.
https://franchisefailurerates.com/franchise/h-and-r-block/ · Data & methodology · Download the dataset (CSV)