Liberty Tax is a chain of franchise and company-owned locations that provide tax preparation services. It is known for its wavers, people in Statue of Liberty costumes and Uncle Sam costumes, used as a form of guerrilla marketing.[2] It is the third largest institutional tax preparation service provider in the United States and second largest in Canada.
History
The company began in Canada in 1997 when John Hewitt, co-founder of Jackson Hewitt, acquired a Canadian tax franchisor, U&R Tax Depot. In 1998, the company became Liberty Tax Service and opened five offices in the United States.[3] In 2012, it was named as a "Top 20 Franchise for the Buck" by Forbes, having grown to over 3,500 franchise locations.[4]
In 2009, Liberty Tax was ordered to pay $1.3 million for engaging in unfair business practices related to its refund anticipation loans.[5]