By Connor Hart
The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday said it finalized an order to H&R Block, requiring the tax-preparation company to make changes to its practices ahead of the upcoming tax season and pay a $7 million fine.
The order comes after the FTC in February 2024 filed a complaint against the Kansas City, Mo., company that alleged it used deceptive marketing and unfairly deleted consumers' tax data.
H&R Block did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Under the settlement, H&R Block will make it easier for customers to downgrade products, the FTC said. Whereas customers previously had to call customer service and speak with a live agent, they will now be able to downgrade services using a chatbot, or by other automated means.
The $7 million fine will be used to compensate consumers harmed by the company's unlawful practices, according to the agency.
The agreement will additionally require H&R Block to stop completely deleting consumers' previously entered information, which the FTC said "will save consumers significant time and effort," and add more context to its advertisements.
Write to Connor Hart at connor.hart@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 08, 2025 12:58 ET (17:58 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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