Truth prevails: H&R Block to stop running offending ads

We've railed against H&R Block's misleading tax-season ads time and time again.

Now, finally, comes some great news for CPAs and taxpayers in general -- not to mention the concept of truth in advertising.

Louise Hraur De Sina, director of advertising and brand management for the American Institute of CPAs, tells us that AICPA President Barry Melancon sent a letter recently to H&R Block CEO Russ Smyth requesting that the offending ads be pulled.

As a result, Smyth has indicated that H&R Block will, indeed, stop running the ads and will review its marketing efforts.

"In the meantime, as always," writes writes Hraur De Sina, "we and our members continue to have an opportunity to communicate the benefits of using a CPA for tax services."

And once again, those benefits include these:

• CPAs are honest, skilled, and competent tax professionals. CPAs have college degrees, they pass rigorous exams, they are committed to continuing professional education, and they are certified, licensed and regulated by state boards of accountancy.
• CPAs are required to pass a rigorous professional exam after they complete their college education in order to be licensed by the states in which they practice. After they are licensed, mandatory continuing professional education requirements ensure that CPAs are current with regulatory and legal changes.
• As members of the AICPA and state CPA societies, CPAs are required to adhere to strict professional ethics standards. Additional ethics rules apply to CPAs who are tax practitioners.
• If the IRS raises a question about a tax return, only CPAs, attorneys and enrolled agents are authorized to represent taxpayers before the IRS.
• CPA tax professionals often know a lot about your personal situation, so the continuity of service you receive from a CPA may be an important factor to consider.  CPAs are business people in the community who will be there for taxpayers year after year.
• The MACPA is committed to ensuring that CPAs work in the public interest by providing the resources to best hone skills of CPA tax professionals and by regulating unacceptable professional conduct while advocating on behalf of the public and members an effective and efficient system of taxation.

Spread the word: Nobody is better equipped -- better qualified -- to handle your tax preparation needs than a CPA.

Comments

[Mike Campbell]

Thank you, Bill! I don't understand why anyone would go to a company that has as much controversy (predatory lender, Express IRAs, etc) against them as they have had.

[KJ Rodgers]

H&R has always seemed to be shady in their marketing efforts. I always recommend having a professional bookkeeper then sending that info to a CPA for tax filings.

[Dave Hillery]

Interesting actions by HRB in as much as they own RSM McGladrey.

[accounts outsourcing services]

Good post...
Regards,
accounts outsourcing

[Offshore Software Development]

An informative post. Thanks for sharing this post.