About 50 percent of taxpayers will file federal taxes online, up from 34 percent just five years ago, according to a survey by The Conference Board and TNS. The conclusion is based on a survey of 10,000 households which found that convenience and speed are drawing consumers to Web-based preparation. But despite that trend, there is more concern about the security of online transactions.

Paychex will not appeal a judge's decision that upheld a two-year-old jury verdict involving its 2001 decision to stop supporting the payroll processing software of Rapid Payroll, a company that Paychex had acquired in 1996. In a suit brought by a Rapid Payroll licensee, the company will pay $15 million in compensatory damages and $11 million in punitive damages awarded by the jury. Read more...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The number of tax returns prepared at H&R Block's retail stores rose by 4.3 percent through March 15, compared to the same period in March a year ago, but total returns for this year's tax season are off by 6.3 percent from a year earlier. Same store sales showed the number of returns prepared rising by 7 percent for the period of March 1 through March 15. Read more...