KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortune announced today that H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) is one of “America’s Most Innovative Companies.” The company was selected for its work to improve services and experiences that bring value to its clients, communities, and associates.
“Innovation is the lifeblood of transformation and I’m proud that our culture, which fosters new ideas and risk taking, is being recognized," said Jeff Jones, President and CEO of H&R Block. “New services and technology that enhance our clients’ experiences are a key focus as we stay true to our Purpose to provide help and inspire confidence in our clients and communities everywhere.”
A recent product innovation is Spruce, a mobile banking app built by H&R Block.1 In September, two new and enhanced features were added to the app, including Round Up and Credit Score Monitoring,2 creating robust product features designed to help improve clients’ financial health. Additionally, as of this year, H&R Block clients can sign up for Spruce in retail tax offices while completing their tax return, allowing Spruce users to get their federal tax refund up to five days early3 when the refund is deposited directly into their Spruce account. Spruce also features tax refund recommendation and in-app budgeting tools that help clients use their tax refund to get better with money and strengthen their financial habits.
H&R Block’s investment in innovation encourages its associates to play an active role in growing the business and identifying new ways to better serve clients. In addition to product innovations like Spruce, H&R Block is also committed to fostering creativity and innovation among teams as demonstrated earlier this month during its inaugural Open IT hackathon. The event brought together 50 teams of H&R Block IT associates who used their talent and experimentation to offer solutions to technological challenges. The winning team created a “TaxGPT” concept that uses an AI-driven virtual help assistant for H&R Block clients who file online.
For more about H&R Block innovation, tax services and products, visit www.HRBlock.com.
About H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation services, financial products, and small-business solutions. The company blends digital innovation with human expertise and care as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time and also be better with money using its mobile banking app, Spruce. Through Block Advisors and Wave, the company helps small-business owners thrive with innovative products like Wave Money, a small-business banking and bookkeeping solution, and the only business bank account to manage bookkeeping automatically. For more information, visit H&R Block News.
1 Spruce fintech platform is built by H&R Block, which is not a bank. Spruce℠ Spending and Savings Accounts established at, and debit card issued by, Pathward®, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard®. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated.
2 Credit score is FICO® Score 8 based on Experian data. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO Score than FICO Score 8, or another type of credit score altogether. FICO® is a trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation. This is a separate service from your Spruce bank accounts, provided by Pathward, N.A. This product does not report to credit reporting agencies.
3 Does not change IRS refund processing speed. Claim is based on making federal refunds available when payment instruction is received, which may be earlier than scheduled payment date. Depends on timing of the IRS’s payment file. Available only for federal refunds. May be changed or discontinued at any time.
