H&R Block's offer of free preparation for 1040 EZ returns boosted its number of returns for the third quarter ended January 31. But it also produced a drop in revenue and contributed to a loss in the quarter although delays in filing of more complex returns also had an impact. The company also noted it wrote down $22.7 million in impaired goodwill for its RedGear unit, which markets the TaxWorks line of tax preparation software.

Although RSM McGladrey reported a 4-percent drop in revenue for the third quarter ended January 31, the firm's purchase of Caturano last year boosted tax services revenue by 5.4 percent. Meanwhile, cost-cutting helped McGladrey post an operating profit of $8.59 million, a rebound from a loss of $11.2 million in last year's corresponding period.

Intuit is testing QuickBooks Online in the United Kingdom and is looking for a way to get into the retail market there as part of its plan to grow its largely American business in other countries. Those were some of the remarks made by Matt Rhodes, Intuit's director of investor relations at a UBS Technology Conference in London this week.