— Revenue Increased 5.3%,
— Announces Plans for Incremental Fiscal 2026 Share Repurchases,
— Raises Fiscal 2026 Outlook,
KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB) (the "Company") today released financial results1 for its fiscal 2026 third quarter ended March 31, 2026.
"This season marked an important inflection point, demonstrating that our strategy is driving higher-quality business outcomes," said Curtis Campbell, president and chief executive officer. "Our assisted market share trend improved meaningfully after several years of pressure, reflecting stronger execution across the season. Clients are choosing H&R Block for confidence, trust, and expert help, and our disciplined, expert-led, technology-enabled approach is delivering meaningful value."
Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Results and Key Financial Metrics
"This quarter demonstrates strong execution across the business, with solid revenue growth and enhanced profitability," said Tiffany Mason, chief financial officer. "Progress this tax season with higher complexity clients underscores the durability of our financial model, and our year‑to‑date performance reinforces our confidence as we raise our full year outlook."
For the third quarter, the Company delivered total revenue of $2.4 billion, an increase of $121.0 million, or 5.3%, versus the prior year. The increase was primarily the result of higher net average charge (NAC) and volume in the U.S. assisted tax preparation category, growth in international revenue, and an increase in Refund Transfer volume.
Total operating expenses of $1.4 billion increased by $62.5 million, or 4.8%, versus the prior year. The increase was primarily due to higher field wages as a result of increased assisted tax preparation revenue.
During the quarter, the Company recognized a one-time non-cash tax benefit related to the resolution of an IRS examination. This $84.1 million benefit reduced income tax expense, providing a $0.65 benefit to earnings per share.
Net income from continuing operations increased by $125.9 million, or 17.4%, to $848.8 million, and earnings per share from continuing operations2 increased 24.2% to $6.61 driven by the one-time tax benefit, fewer shares outstanding from share repurchases, and higher net income.
Adjusted net income from continuing operations2 increased by $42.4 million, or 5.8%, to $773.7 million, and adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations2 increased 11.9% to $6.02.
Capital Allocation
The Company reported the following related to its capital structure:
As previously announced, a quarterly cash dividend of $0.42 per share will be paid on July 7th to shareholders of record as of June 3rd. H&R Block has paid quarterly dividends consecutively since the Company became public in 1962. Since 2016, the Company has grown the dividend 110%3.
The Company has approximately $700 million remaining on its previously announced $1.5 billion share repurchase program. The Company's board of directors has authorized management to repurchase an incremental $100 million of common stock in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 under that repurchase program, which has been reflected in the updated outlook below.
Year-to-date, the Company has returned $560.9 million to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases.
Fiscal Year 2026 Outlook
As a result of year-to-date performance, including a strong tax season, the Company now expects:
Revenue to be in the range of $3.910 to $3.920 billion, representing a 4.1% year-over-year increase at the midpoint.
EBITDA4 to be in the range of $1.025 to $1.035 billion, a 5.5% year-over-year increase at the midpoint.
Effective tax rate to be approximately 14%.
Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share4 to be in the range of $5.10 to $5.20, a 10.5% year-over-year increase at the midpoint.
Conference Call
The Company will host a conference call for analysts and investors to discuss third quarter 2026 results at 4:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. To join live, participants must register at https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI154683d0918449469ffebfc9d427b4b3. Once registered, the participant will receive a dial-in number and unique PIN to access the call. Please join approximately 5 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.
The call, along with a presentation for viewing, will also be webcast in a listen-only format for the media and general public. The webcast can be accessed directly at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/ygejpbdc/lan/en and will be available for replay 2 hours after the call is concluded and continuing for 90 days.
About H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation services, financial products, and small-business solutions. The company blends digital innovation with human expertise and care as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time and also be better with money using its mobile banking app, Spruce. Through Block Advisors and Wave, the company helps small-business owners thrive with year-round bookkeeping, payroll, advisory, and payment processing solutions. For more information, visit H&R Block News.
About Non-GAAP Financial Information
This press release and the accompanying tables include non-GAAP financial information. For a description of these non-GAAP financial measures, including the reasons management uses each measure, and reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, please see the section of the accompanying tables titled "Non-GAAP Financial Information."
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words or variation of words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "commits," "seeks," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "targets," "would," "will," "should," "goal," "could" or "may" or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements provide management's current expectations or predictions of future conditions, events or results. All statements that address operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future are forward-looking statements. They may include estimates of revenues, client trajectory, income, effective tax rate, earnings per share, cost savings, capital expenditures, dividends, share repurchases, liquidity, capital structure, market share, industry volumes or other financial items, descriptions of management's plans or objectives for future operations, products or services, or descriptions of assumptions underlying any of the above. They may also include the expected impact of external events beyond the Company's control, such as outbreaks of infectious disease, severe weather events, natural or manmade disasters, or changes in the regulatory environment in which we operate. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and reflect the Company's good faith beliefs, assumptions and expectations, but they are not guarantees of future performance or events. Furthermore, the Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions, factors, or expectations, new information, data or methods, future events or other changes, except as required by law. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to a variety of economic, competitive and regulatory factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, that are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently completed fiscal year in the section entitled "Risk Factors" and additional factors we may describe from time to time in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may get such filings for free at our website at https://investors.hrblock.com. In addition, factors that may cause the Company's actual estimated effective tax rate to differ from estimates include the Company's actual results from operations compared to current estimates, future discrete items, changes in interpretations and assumptions the Company has made, future actions of the Company, or increases in applicable tax rates in jurisdictions where the Company operates. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and, consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties.
1All amounts in this release are unaudited. Unless otherwise noted, all comparisons refer to the current period compared to the corresponding prior year period.2All per share amounts are based on fully diluted shares at the end of the corresponding period. The Company reports non-GAAP financial measures of performance, including adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share (EPS) and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) from continuing operations, which it considers to be useful metrics for management and investors to evaluate and compare the ongoing operating performance of the Company. See "About Non-GAAP Financial Information" below for more information regarding financial measures not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). 3Dividend growth is calculated as percentage growth from the April 2016 dividend.4Adjusted Diluted EPS and EBITDA from continuing operations are non-GAAP financial measures. Future period non-GAAP outlook includes adjustments for items not indicative of our core operations, which may include, without limitation, items described in the below section titled "Non-GAAP Financial Information" and in the accompanying tables. Such adjustments may be affected by changes in ongoing assumptions and judgments, as well as nonrecurring, unusual, or unanticipated charges, expenses or gains, or other items that may not directly correlate to the underlying performance of our business operations. The exact amounts of these adjustments are not currently determinable but may be significant. It is therefore not practicable to provide the comparable GAAP measures or reconcile this non-GAAP outlook to the most comparable GAAP measures.
TABLES FOLLOW
FINANCIAL RESULTS
(unaudited, in 000s - except per share amounts)
Three months ended March 31,
Nine months ended March 31,
2026
2025
2026
2025
REVENUES:
U.S. tax preparation and related services:
Assisted tax preparation
$
1,742,135
$
1,635,877
$
1,846,698
$
1,727,220
Royalties
128,182
133,961
139,139
143,312
DIY tax preparation
215,245
214,666
235,797
231,646
Refund Transfers
119,935
113,732
121,416
115,229
Peace of Mind® Extended Service Plan
14,347
15,625
54,087
54,867
Tax Identity Shield®
8,485
7,025
16,851
14,947
Other
15,000
14,582
41,321
40,215
Total U.S. tax preparation and related services
2,243,329
2,135,468
2,455,309
2,327,436
Financial services:
Emerald Card® and SpruceSM
39,590
40,195
56,566
59,169
Interest and fee income on Emerald Advance®
15,198
14,286
28,644
26,594
Total financial services
54,788
54,481
85,210
85,763
International
70,119
60,438
170,498
157,104
Wave
29,871
26,717
89,506
79,681
Total revenues
$
2,398,107
$
2,277,104
$
2,800,523
$
2,649,984
Compensation and benefits:
Field wages
577,513
532,916
741,405
682,575
Other wages
78,703
74,621
230,987
230,687
Benefits and other compensation
118,151
111,575
194,802
188,731
774,367
719,112
1,167,194
1,101,993
Occupancy
127,312
119,709
339,700
326,026
Marketing and advertising
185,388
196,667
208,725
221,502
Depreciation and amortization
31,519
29,221
90,442
87,247
Bad debt
39,806
40,479
63,827
62,625
Other
202,891
193,603
399,721
393,900
Total operating expenses
1,361,283
