OFFICIAL FILING · MN · 2019
H&R Block FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) — 2019
The FDD is the 23-item legal disclosure every U.S. franchisor must hand you at least 14 days before you sign or pay anything (FTC Franchise Rule, 16 CFR 436). H&R Block's most recent FDD tracked here was filed in 2019 with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (public CARDS portal) — and because registration-state filings are public records, you can read it free, without giving a broker your phone number.
THE SAME DOCUMENT SITES SELL OR GATE BEHIND LEAD FORMS. FILED 2019 · SOURCE STATE MN
| ITEM 5 | Initial franchise fee | $3K |
| ITEM 6 | Ongoing royalty | 40.0% of gross sales |
| ITEM 7 | Total initial investment | $32K–$149K |
| ITEM 3 | Disclosed litigation matters | 19 |
| ITEM 19 | Earnings disclosure (FPR) | None — no earnings claim published |
| ITEM 20 | Outlets (fiscal 2019) | 3,136 franchised at year end · 129 exits (3.9% annualized) |
| ITEM 21 | Franchisor financial statements | clean (unqualified) audit opinion — Deloitte & Touche LLP |
Citation discipline: every figure above is extracted from the 2019 H&R Block FDD as filed and links back to that document. Fields the filing did not state are omitted — nothing here is estimated, surveyed, or filled in from marketing material. FDDs are reissued annually; verify against the current issuance before relying on any number.
H&R Block FDD questions, answered
Where can I download the H&R Block FDD for free?
H&R Block's 2019 Franchise Disclosure Document is a public record, filed with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (public CARDS portal). It can be downloaded free from the source link on this page — no broker form, no email signup required.
What year is H&R Block's most recent FDD on file?
The most recent H&R Block FDD tracked here was filed in 2019 with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (public CARDS portal). Franchisors must update their FDD annually, so confirm you are reading the current issuance before signing.
Does H&R Block's FDD disclose earnings (Item 19)?
No — H&R Block's 2019 FDD makes no financial performance representation in Item 19. That is legal and common, but it means the franchisor publishes no earnings claim.
What does H&R Block's FDD Item 20 show?
In fiscal 2019, H&R Block ended with 3,136 franchised outlets; 129 of 3,345 open at the start of the year left the system — an annualized exit rate of 3.9% (terminations, non-renewals, and "ceased operations — other reasons").
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing H&R Block's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →