Tax Preparation Services Franchise Failure Rates: 3 Brands Ranked (SBA Data)
SBA 7(a) loan default data, FY2010–FY2019 · Updated 2026
Tax Preparation Services franchises defaulted on 9.7% of SBA 7(a) loans between FY2010 and FY2019, according to U.S. Small Business Administration data. This page ranks 3 brands with 209 loans (13 charged off); rates range from H&R Block (0.0%) to Liberty Tax Service (9.8%).
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.
How do Tax Preparation Services franchises perform on SBA loans?
Across the 3 Tax Preparation Services brands tracked here, 209 SBA 7(a) loans were approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019 and 13 were charged off. That is a pooled rate of 6.2% for these brands against a 9.7% industry average for all SBA 7(a) Tax Preparation Services loans, franchised or not. 0 brands with 20+ loans ran at more than twice the industry benchmark. 1 brand with 40+ loans recorded zero defaults. Statuses as of June 30, 2026.
- Brands tracked3
- SBA 7(a) loans, FY2010–FY2019209
- Charged off13
- Pooled rate, these brands6.2%
- Tax Preparation Services industry average (all SBA 7(a) loans)9.7%
- All-franchise benchmark10.2%
- All SBA borrowers8.0%
- Lowest rateH&R Block · 0.0%
- Highest rateLiberty Tax Service · 9.8%
Which Tax Preparation Services franchise brands have the highest and lowest SBA default rates?
Every Tax Preparation Services brand tracked here, ranked from lowest to highest SBA default rate. Click a column heading to re-sort. Type in the filter to find a brand.
| Rank | Brand | Rate | Charged off | Loans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | H&R Block | 0.0% | 0 | 41 |
| 2 | Jackson Hewitt Tax Service | 2.2% | 1 | 46 |
| 3 | Liberty Tax Service | 9.8% | 12 | 122 |
Source: U.S. SBA 7(a) FOIA loan data. Loans approved FY2010–FY2019, statuses as of June 30, 2026. Download the CSV.
How to read this: a default rate is only as steady as the number of loans behind it. Brands with fewer than 20 loans are marked †. With so few loans, one default moves the rate by 5 percentage points or more. Their rates are statistically noisy. Read them as flags to check, not as rankings to trust. Rate = loans charged off ÷ loans approved FY2010–FY2019 and since resolved.
All industries: franchise failure rates by industry.
Frequently asked
- Which Tax Preparation Services franchises have the highest SBA default rates?
- Among Tax Preparation Services brands with 20 or more SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019, the highest charge-off rates were Liberty Tax Service (9.8%), Jackson Hewitt Tax Service (2.2%), H&R Block (0.0%). Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026.
- What is the Tax Preparation Services franchise SBA default rate benchmark?
- Tax Preparation Services franchise borrowers charged off 9.7% of SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019, compared with 10.2% for all franchises and 8.0% for all SBA borrowers.
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.
Cite this page
Franchise Default Rates (2026). Tax Preparation Services franchise SBA 7(a) default rates, FY2010–FY2019 cohort: 3 brands, pooled 6.2%. Derived from U.S. SBA FOIA data, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.
https://franchisefailurerates.com/industry/tax-preparation-services/ · Data & methodology · Download the dataset (CSV)