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H&R Block is restructuring its organization with plans to eliminate 350 jobs and close 200 company-owned stores. It also announced that Philip L. Mazzini, president of Retail Tax Services, has resigned effective April 30. Block also said that total returns prepared for the 2012 tax season were up 4.5 percent over a year ago. But that was because online returns outpaced sluggish growth at retail stores.

The total number of returns prepared was 22.5 million. However, retail returns rose only 1 percent to 14.9 million with returns prepared by franchises increasing to 5.7 million, up only two tenths of a percent. The number of returns prepared via Block's software dropped by 1.5 percent to 2.1 million. However, the online business generated 4.4 million returns, an increase of 20.4 percent over the 2011 tax season. Free File Alliance returns rose to 856,000, up 12.6 percent.

As part of a reorganization, the company formed U.S. Client Services. Amy McAnarney has been named as president of that unit. She has been with Block since 1997 and was most recently SVP of operations and franchise support. Under the new plan, Jason Houseworth was named president of U.S Tax Services. During the last two years, Houseworth has led the company's digital tax operations. Houseworth joined H&R Block in 2008. Susan Ehrlich, president of Financial Services, and Robert Turtledove, chief marketing officer continue in their jobs. All four executives report to CEO Bill Cobb

In a prepared statement, Cobb said Mazzini had done a great job and he was sorry to see the executive leave the company.  The company also is looking for a new CFO as it said the current job holder, Jeff Brown, will move to the position of chief accounting and risk officer once a replacement is found.

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