H&R Block Class Action Claim Form: No Form, Refunds, and Scams

There is no H&R Block class action claim form to fill out. The $7 million H&R Block payment announced in January 2025 came out of a Federal Trade Commission enforcement action, not a class action lawsuit, and the FTC generally identifies affected consumers from a company’s own records and sends payments directly rather than asking people to submit claims.¹ If you paid H&R Block for online tax preparation when you qualified for a free or cheaper version, the practical steps are to keep your account contact information current and watch the FTC’s H&R Block case page for refund announcements.

Why There Is No Claim Form

Class action settlements typically run through a settlement website with a claim form, a deadline, and a claim ID. FTC enforcement actions work differently. The agency itself oversees the money and, in most cases, uses the defendant company’s records to identify who was harmed and how much they paid. Payments then go out by check, PayPal, or another direct method, and the FTC announces the mailings on its website when they happen.

The FTC has not publicly detailed the exact mechanics of how the $7 million in H&R Block refunds will be distributed. Until the agency posts that information on its H&R Block case page, there is no form to complete and no portal to register on.¹

Who the Refund Money Is For

The FTC’s complaint identified two categories of harm. First, H&R Block marketed its online products as “free” when they were not free for many filers, who discovered mid-process that they owed money after entering their tax information. Second, when customers tried to switch to a cheaper product, H&R Block made the process unreasonably difficult: downgrading required contacting customer service, and in many cases the company deleted the tax data the customer had already entered, forcing a restart.¹

The $7 million is earmarked to compensate consumers who fell into those groups: people who paid for online preparation when they qualified for a free or cheaper option, and people who were blocked from downgrading.¹

Free-filing eligibility is tied to the IRS Free File program’s income threshold, which changes year to year. It was around $69,000 in 2020, $79,000 for tax year 2023, and $89,000 for the 2025 tax year filed in 2026.² If your adjusted gross income was below the threshold in effect for the year you paid H&R Block, you fall within the group the order is meant to reach.

What to Do Now

Because there is no form, the useful steps are quiet ones.

Log into your H&R Block account and confirm that the email address and mailing address on file are current. Those are the details the FTC or a settlement administrator would use to reach you. Save any old receipts or confirmation emails from H&R Block; if a payment process later opens up and a question arises about which year or product you paid for, that documentation will settle it.

Bookmark the FTC’s H&R Block case page and check back for refund announcements.¹ That is where any instructions for consumers will be posted.

If You Receive a Notice About the Refund

A legitimate notice from the FTC or a third-party administrator will arrive by email or postal mail. It will not ask you to pay a fee to receive your refund, and it will not ask for your Social Security number over email. It may include a Notice ID or confirmation code that you’ll use if you’re directed to an online portal.

If you are asked to confirm your identity or choose how to receive payment, expect to provide:

Your full legal name and the mailing address associated with your H&R Block account.
The email address you used when purchasing H&R Block’s online tax software.
A payment preference — check, direct deposit, or a digital payment service. Direct deposit requires a bank routing and account number.

Keep the notice. If a payment goes missing, the reference numbers on it are what an administrator needs to find your record.

Watch for Refund Scams

Any email, text, or phone call asking you to pay money to “unlock” or “release” an H&R Block refund is fraudulent. The FTC does not charge consumers to process refund payments. If you get a suspicious message, don’t click its links; go to the FTC’s case page directly to verify. Unexpected refund checks that appear to come from the FTC are usually genuine, but you can confirm the sender against announcements posted on the FTC’s website before depositing.

The Separate California Settlement

California customers may be covered by a second, state-level action. The Los Angeles City Attorney reached a $1.6 million settlement with H&R Block covering tens of thousands of California consumers who paid H&R Block for federal tax return preparation when they were eligible to file for free.³

For that settlement, a third-party administrator contacts eligible customers directly to notify them and discuss payment options.³ Again, no claim form to hunt down. California residents affected by the underlying conduct may be covered by both the federal FTC action and this state-level settlement.

Will You Owe Tax on the Payment

Under IRC Section 61, all income is taxable unless a specific provision excludes it, and the IRS looks at what a settlement payment is intended to replace when deciding how to treat it.⁴ The main exclusion, for damages from personal physical injury or physical sickness, does not apply here. A refund of overcharged service fees looks more like a return of money you should not have spent, but the IRS has not issued specific guidance on this scenario, and the per-person amounts are likely to be small. If you receive a payment and want certainty about how to report it, ask a tax professional about the year you receive the funds.

1
Federal Trade Commission. H&R Block, In the Matter of
2
Internal Revenue Service. 2026 Tax Filing Season Opens With Several Free Filing Options Available
3
City of Los Angeles. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto Announces 1.6 Million Settlement with H&R Block, Providing Restitution for Eligible California Customers
4
Internal Revenue Service. Tax Implications of Settlements and Judgments