H & R Block History

Origin – H & R Block H & R is one of many companies in the personal service industry that is currently the largest provider in the world. This company was founded in 1955 by Henry and Richard Bloch. When they first started their operations, they charged $5 for each tax return. In 1962, they became a publicly traded organization and opened their first tax training school in 1965. After advertising through television campaigns, in the 1970s, H & R Block became one of the most widely known names in the United States. During the 1980s, they were able to acquire CompuServe. This company was a major commercial computer service provider that provided H & R Block to expand and keep their offices connected. Subsequently, in 1986, they were able prepare

Some of the strategies that they exercise in order to maintain their top status as top tax company is by creating a presence for taxpayers by using the internet. Some of the business and corporate strategies that h & R block are through the partnerships they join. As a result, h & r block is able to expand their resources so that they are able to assist their customers more effectively. For example, they have partnered with LendingTree. "Our partnership with LendingTree to provide an easy way for our clients to have access to their updated credit score every month is a great next step in our efforts to promote financial literacy" (Unknown, 2018, para. 2). LendingTree is currently the market leader when it comes to providing their consumers with the online tools in order for them to find the most suitable loans that fit their needs. With H & R Block's partnership with LendingTree, it allows consumers to check their My Block account to have more functions, such as being able to check their financial stability and credit score. It provides an analysis that helps clients on increasing their financial literacy and decrease their financial

This is a company that focuses on promoting cognitive computing to other companies. Cognitive computing is the newest type of computing that enables the hardware and software to interact with humans through self-learning systems and computerized models. In companies, it is an effective type of computing that helps change the way on how they make strategic decisions, interact with their customers, and accomplish their strategic objectives. In H & R Block’s case, they are providing their tax professional with the most updated cutting-edge technology that would allow them to have their tax returns prepared easier. “H&R Block is rolling out a partnership with IBM Watson to create a cutting-edge cognitive interview that can help Block's tax professionals work more efficiently with tax filers to spot every relevant tax credit and tax rule” (Tomper, 2017, para. 2). With H & R Block’s partnership with IBM’s Watson, it allows their tax professional to effectively locate the best possible deductions and credits that their clients can qualify in order to obtain a higher tax refund. Moreover, the tax preparation process is more engaging and transparent as the client would be able to view the progress of their tax return and the tax professional is guiding them along through the