Still, CEO Alan Bennett said in prepared statement that Block gained clients, reversing losses in the last two years, and that the company gained market share in both the retail and online segments. These results offset declines in January and they came despite the fact that Block cannot provide refund anticipation loans, which are available at Liberty and Jackson Hewitt.

However, the issues that lead to delayed filings across the profession left the chain's preparation fees down by 7.5 percent since they disproportionately impact more complex returns.

Despite the delays in the acceptance of certain returns by the Internal Revenue Service, the season is approaching normal as filing has accelerated this month. Block said retail returns rose by 17 percent and online filing by 32 percent for February 1 through February 15.

Bob Scott

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Bob Scott has provided information to the tax and accounting community since 1991, first as technology editor of Accounting Today, and from 1997 through 2009 as editor of its sister publication, Accounting Technology. He is known throughout the industry for his depth of knowledge and for his high journalistic standards.  Scott has made frequent appearances as a speaker, moderator and panelist and events serving tax and accounting professionals. He  has a strong background in computer journalism as an editor with two former trade publications, Computer+Software News and MIS Week and spent several years with weekly and daily newspapers in Morris County New Jersey prior to that.  A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in journalism, Bob is a native of Madison, Ind