FTC Files Complaint Against H&R Block for Deceptive Practices and Data Deletion

The Federal Trade Commission accuses H&R Block of misleading advertising and making it difficult for customers to downgrade services, leading to unnecessary overpayments.

The FTC alleges H&R Block deceptively marketed its tax services as 'free,' despite many customers not qualifying.
H&R Block accused of deleting customer tax data to discourage downgrading, forcing customers to start over.
The company's practices have led to consumer frustration and accusations of overcharging for services.
H&R Block defends its pricing and service quality, claiming multiple mechanisms for downgrading are available.
This action is part of a broader government crackdown on deceptive practices in the tax prep industry.