Jackson Hewitt Takes Block’s Place at Sears

Jackson Hewitt Tax Service has agreed with Sears to provide tax prep services in most Sears locations nationwide starting in January.

The deal comes on the heels of H&R Block confirming that it will cease operating in Sears Holdings Corp. locations. Block reportedly said that it would reduce the number of its Sears locations to 112 this year, from about 500 last year. Block has reportedly been trying to re-align its business to focus on the fast-growing digital tax market to compete with tax-filing software such as TurboTax.

A Sears spokesperson said in reports that the retail company wouldn’t reveal “details of any vendor relationships” and that Sears simply “decided to end our relationship with H&R Block.”

As recently as January of this year, Block had teamed with Sears to offer federal 1040EZ tax filing online and in stores.

The Jackson-Hewitt deal will offer tax prep both in-store and online.

Jackson Hewitt already has some 6,600 franchised and company-owned offices throughout the U.S.

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