H&R BLOCK vs Jackson Hewitt Inc.

Compare FDD disclosures, investment range, royalty and ad fund burden, SBA lending outcomes, Item 20-style unit movement, Item 19 transparency, and data-confidence caveats with a permanent shareable URL.

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H&R BLOCK
Financial Services
Investment
$34K to $159K
Franchise fee
$2,500
Item 19 status
Limited Data
Confidence
Medium Confidence
Units
2,339
Jackson Hewitt Inc.
Financial Services
Investment
$15K to $105K
Franchise fee
$25,000
Item 19 status
Confidence
High Confidence
Units
3,092
Lower entry cost
Leans right
Based on disclosed minimum initial investment only; buyer cash needs may be higher after working capital, lease, and financing assumptions.
Better disclosed economics
H&R BLOCK
Uses the same Item 19 transparency hierarchy shown on franchise pages and rankings.
Lower SBA default risk
Leans left
Treat low-loan brands carefully; sample size and SBA borrower mix matter.
MetricH&R BLOCKJackson Hewitt Inc.
Franchise Fee
From disclosed FDD fee data when available; excludes buyer-specific legal, diligence, and financing costs.
$2,500$25,000
Min Investment
Lower bound of disclosed initial investment range, not a recommended capital budget.
$34K$15K
Max Investment
Upper end of FDD range; still reconcile to site, lease, buildout, and working-capital assumptions.
$159K$105K
Royalty Rate
Ongoing royalty burden before local store economics and owner salary.
4.0%15.0%
Ad Fund Rate
National/brand fund rate when disclosed; local marketing may be additive.
N/A6.5%
Total Ongoing Burden
Royalty plus ad fund when available.
4.0%21.5%
Median Revenue (Item 19)
Only meaningful when the franchisor provides an Item 19 financial-performance representation.
N/A$87K
Cash-on-Cash Return
Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available.
N/A5.1%
Payback Period
N/A19.7 yrs
Revenue per Dollar Invested
N/A1.45x
Franchised Units
Latest disclosed franchised-unit count in the corpus.
2,3393,092
1-Year Net Unit Change
Item 20-style system movement signal; investigate transfers, closures, and refranchising before assuming organic growth.
-76-111
Net Unit Growth Rate
-3.0%-3.3%
Net Closure Rate
Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change.
3.1%3.5%
SBA Default Rate
Historical SBA performance for matched loans, not a prediction for a new buyer or location.
0.0%1.5%
SBA Loan Count
Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful.
488
Average SBA Loan Size
$146K$617K
Item 19 Status
Canonical transparency badge used across franchise, ranking, and compare surfaces.
Limited Data
Has Item 19
✓ Yes✓ Yes
Data Confidence
Derived from the same data-quality thresholds used on franchise pages.
Medium Confidence · 75/100High Confidence · 100/100

What stands out

  • H&R BLOCK discloses an initial investment range of $34K to $159K, while Jackson Hewitt Inc. discloses $15K to $105K. Treat these as FDD ranges, not a full purchase budget.
  • H&R BLOCK shows an Item 19 financial-performance disclosure; Jackson Hewitt Inc. shows an Item 19 financial-performance disclosure. Missing Item 19 data should narrow confidence, not automatically kill a brand.
  • H&R BLOCK has 2,339 franchised units versus 3,092 for Jackson Hewitt Inc.; use one-year net unit movement and closure proxies as early diligence signals, not final underwriting.

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Last updated: May 2026