AI capabilities backed by human expertise drive adoption across millions of DIY and tax pro assisted filers

KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) has been named Best Overall Tax Service for 2026 and Best Use of AI by CNET, with the publication highlighting the company’s AI capabilities as raising the bar for the entire tax preparation industry. The recognition reflects H&R Block’s commitment to pairing advanced AI technology with tax professional expertise to deliver trusted guidance for millions of taxpayers.

“We chose H&R Block because of its transparent pricing, easy-to-use platform, and standout AI assistant making it this tax season’s newly crowned top choice for most tax filers,” CNET wrote.

H&R Block's AI tools are rigorously trained using vetted tax expertise, strong guardrails, and continuous expert testing, providing intelligent support throughout the filing journey for both DIY filers and the millions of clients served by H&R Block tax professionals.

"With over 22 million returns filed globally through our platform last year alone, we see firsthand what makes tax filing complex and know where people need the most support," said Curtis Campbell, CEO at H&R Block. "Our AI technology enables our clients and tax pros to experience filing ease and simplification with AI that’s trained with tax scenarios, tested by experts and built to deliver the accuracy and guidance that clients depend on. We're setting a new standard for what AI-powered tax filing should look like, backed by 60,000 tax professionals."

AI Tax Assist Delivers Rapid Growth

H&R Block’s AI Tax Assist helps clients navigate complex tax moments with ease by delivering real-time answers directly within the online filing experience. Whether clients have questions about dependent eligibility, home office deductions, or investment income reporting, the AI provides instant, expert-verified guidance without leaving their return.

Since launching in 2023, client usage of AI Tax Assist has grown 152% and delivered 6.45 million messages to date. This tax season, 1.91 million client messages and responses have been provided to clients, which is an 85% year-over-year increase, with responses delivered in an average of 2.2 seconds.

New this tax season, AI Tax Assist is also available within H&R Block’s Desktop Software, expanding access to even more clients, regardless of how they choose to prepare their returns during tax preparation and client appointments.

Sidekick Empowers Tax Professionals

This tax season, H&R Block introduced Sidekick, an AI-powered assistant that helps tax professionals deliver fast, accurate service during client appointments. The tool provides expert-verified answers from H&R Block's extensive tax library in 2-3 seconds, allowing pros to focus on client needs rather than manual research.

Early adoption demonstrates strong demand for AI-assisted tax preparation:

• 2.48 million tax research queries during tax preparation and client appointments,
• 2-3 second average response time

• 28% reduction in internal research requests that sped up tax filing
  

"The numbers signal that embedded AI support is enhancing our tax filing experience," Campbell added. "By combining cutting-edge technology with human expertise, we're redefining what taxpayers should expect with smart tools, clear guidance, and great confidence at every step of the filing journey."

* Reprinted with permission. © 2026 Ziff Davis, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

About H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation services, financial products, and small-business solutions. Named CNET’s Best Overall Online Tax Service for 2026, the company blends digital innovation with human expertise and care. H&R Block helps people get the best outcome at tax time and supports year-round money management with its mobile banking app, Spruce. Through its Block Advisors and Wave brands, the company enables small-business owners to thrive with bookkeeping, payroll, advisory, and payment processing solutions. For more information, visit H&R Block News.

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