LIBERTY TAX SERVICE
Liberty Tax Service offers franchises to operate retail income tax preparation offices using proprietary marks, business methods, and marketing techniques in specified geographic territories. The business model involves seasonal tax return preparation services, primarily from January to April, with franchisees required to comply with IRS regulations and offer ancillary products like refund anticipation loans. It targets low to middle-income customers, competing with H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, online services, and nonprofits.
Franchise Costs
14% royalty + 5% ad fund
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: Data based on 1,599 franchise owned Liberty Tax offices that operated during tax season 2024 and also remained active in systems into tax season 2025. This excludes processing centers and seasonal offices, and represents 89% of the 1,791 franchise locations available as of February 15, 2024.
Extracted Item 19 Section
How LIBERTY TAX SERVICE Compares
Key Insights
- Lower investment than 76% of Business Services franchises
- Top 10 largest franchise system in Business Services
- Lower than average SBA loan default rate in Business Services
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
LIBERTY TAX SERVICE Current | $50K – $71K | $25K | 14.0% | 1,686 |
| Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution, LLC | $14K – $607K | N/A | N/A | 6,454 |
| THE UPS STORE (TRADITIONAL) | $216K – $609K | $30K | 5.0% | 4,500 |
| JACKSON HEWITT TAX SERVICE | $71K – $105K | $25K | 15.0% | 2,744 |
| CRUISE PLANNERS | $2K – $21K | $11K | 3.0% | 2,655 |
| SERVPRO (UNIT) | $259K – $380K | $100K | 10.0% | 2,286 |
Business Services Average 188 franchises | $118K – $284K | $46K | 10.4% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 188 Business Services franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2024)
Outlets by state across the United States
+36 more states
SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for LIBERTY TAX SERVICE franchisees (2010 – 2025)
Loans by Year
SBA 7(a) loan activity over time
* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.
Franchisee Contacts
1,787 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
| Name | SBA Loan |
|---|---|
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
1,787 Contacts Available
Unlock all LIBERTY TAX SERVICE franchisee contacts with verified contact information
Due Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Primarily franchisor lawsuits against former franchisees for breach of non-compete covenants, trade secret misappropriation, trademark violations, tortious interference, and unpaid royalties/fees; includes debt collection actions, a few franchisee counterclaims for breach of contract/wrongful termination, and franchisee-initiated disputes over area developer agreements.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Former parent NextPoint Financial Inc. filed for debtor relief under Canada's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act on July 25, 2023, and Chapter 15 petition in US Bankruptcy Court on July 26, 2023, as foreign representative of the franchisor and certain US affiliates; assets sold January 2, 2024.
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
Frequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a LIBERTY TAX SERVICE franchise ranges from $49,970 to $71,400. This includes a franchise fee of $25,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 14.0% of gross sales.
Unlock Full FDD Access
Download LIBERTY TAX SERVICE's complete FDD plus 1,700+ other franchise documents — all with one plan.
Secure checkout with Stripe · Cancel anytime
Also includes FDDs for
More Services Franchises
THE UPS STORE (TRADITIONAL)
Services
AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC
Services
JACKSON HEWITT TAX SERVICE
Services
SERVPRO (UNIT)
Services
H&R BLOCK
Services
SERVICEMASTER RESTORE
Services
