ATAX vs Liberty Tax Service

Compare franchise fees, investment range, royalties, SBA lending performance, unit growth, and Item 19 transparency with a permanent shareable URL.

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ATAX
Financial Services
Investment
$101K to $524K
Franchise fee
$35,000
Item 19 status
Cost Data Only
Units
38
Liberty Tax Service
Financial Services
Investment
$50K to $71K
Franchise fee
$25,000
Item 19 status
Cost Data Only
Units
1,813
Lower entry cost
Leans right
Based on minimum initial investment.
Better disclosed economics
Even
Uses Item 19 availability and transparency status.
Lower SBA default risk
Leans left
Treat low-loan brands carefully, sample size matters.
MetricATAXLiberty Tax Service
Franchise Fee
$35,000$25,000
Min Investment
$101K$50K
Max Investment
$524K$71K
Royalty Rate
14.0%14.0%
Ad Fund Rate
3.0%5.0%
Total Ongoing Burden
Royalty plus ad fund when available.
17.0%19.0%
Median Revenue (Item 19)
$85K$132K
Cash-on-Cash Return
Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available.
2.2%13.1%
Payback Period
46.1 yrs7.6 yrs
Revenue per Dollar Invested
0.27x2.18x
Franchised Units
381,813
1-Year Net Unit Change
-3-121
Net Unit Growth Rate
-10.0%-6.1%
Net Closure Rate
Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change.
7.3%6.3%
SBA Default Rate
0.0%10.0%
SBA Loan Count
Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful.
8174
Average SBA Loan Size
$37K$213K
Item 19 Status
Cost Data OnlyCost Data Only
Has Item 19
✓ Yes✓ Yes
Data Quality Score
100100

What stands out

  • ATAX opens at $101K to $524K, while Liberty Tax Service ranges from $50K to $71K.
  • ATAX shows an Item 19 disclosure; Liberty Tax Service shows an Item 19 disclosure.
  • ATAX has 38 franchised units versus 1,813 for Liberty Tax Service.

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Last updated: April 2026