From the filings
Jackson Hewitt Tax Service requires every office to run computers and peripherals that meet its specifications so they can operate its tax-return preparation and processing software, upgrading hardware and software whenever the franchisor updates its requirements. The system runs 5,221 total units, 2,981 of them franchised, with franchised outlets down 3.59% year over year.
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Live signals
Ongoing fee load
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
9.5%of gross sales (FY2024)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
19 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 2 explicit no's; 13 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We have independent access to all information generated and stored on your Office Main and Tax Preparation computers, such as customer information and sales information.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We and our Affiliates may be approved suppliers and, in our discretion, may be the sole supplier of certain products or services.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
A Marketing Committee has been established to provide guidance regarding the design, planning and implementation of certain advertising and promotional programs.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
Except for amounts received from this rebate program, all of which we contributed to our franchisee convention, in the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, we and our Affiliates did not receive any revenue, rebates or other material consideration from required purchases or leases by Franchisees.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We receive a rebate of up to 3% of purchases by our franchisees from an office-supply store.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
11Item 8
For standard offices, we estimate that your required purchases from our 24 Jackson Hewitt Inc. 2024_11 FDD 1193.002.019/415873 approved suppliers or in accordance with our standards and specifications will constitute approximately 25% to 48% of your total costs to establish the business and approximately 11% to 17%…
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
You may recommend new suppliers to us.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesItem 17
d) transfer telephone numbers to us;
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You are required to purchase and install antivirus protection and firewall protection, and perform critical updates to your Microsoft operating system as described in the Technology Standards in the Manual on all of your computers with Internet access and to provide us with proof of compliance.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 6
Our audits, inspections and investigations of your Franchised Business will generally be conducted at our expense.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
You must comply with all terms and provisions found in the latest version of our Manual, which we may modify in our discretion.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You may not open a location or relocate your Franchised Businesses to a new address within the Territory without our prior written consent.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 8
You may not establish an Internet website, a home page for the Franchised Business or conduct any Internet advertising without our prior written approval of the appearance and content of such website or home page.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 7
This is the minimum amount of initial advertising you must spend under the Franchise Agreement during your first Tax Season.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 6
You must spend $5,000 in local advertising to advertise and market your business in the Territory during your first Tax Season
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
In any event, you must obtain all branded assets only from sources that we designate or approve.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
In any event, you must obtain all branded assets only from sources that we designate or approve.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
You must authorize us to debit your checking, savings or other account automatically for the Royalty, advertising and marketing fees, and other amounts due to us or our Affiliates and to third parties for whom we collect payments owed by our franchisees (the “EFT Authorization”).
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We have independent access to all information generated and stored on your Office Main and Tax Preparation computers, such as customer information and sales information.
Jackson Hewitt Tax Service runs 5,221 total units, 2,981 of them franchised, with franchised outlets down 3.59% year over year. Item 19 reports a figure of $118,262 for a cohort of 2,855 franchised offices reported active and operating for at least one Tax Season before the 2024 Tax Season. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service's corporate parent, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc., is owned through Assist Parent LLC, and its operator base of 571 mapped operators (254 multi-unit) covers roughly 2,941 located units, led by Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, and Tennessee.
Jackson Hewitt requires every office to purchase computers and peripherals that meet its specifications for processor type and speed, system memory, hard drive, and operating system, so they can run its tax-return preparation and processing software and transmit returns. President and CEO Greg Macfarlane and SVP and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Justin DiTrolio lead the corporate team that sets and updates those requirements.
Offices use Jackson Hewitt's proprietary Tax & Processing Software and may not install other tax-return preparation or e-filing software without written consent; they must also install antivirus and firewall protection and perform critical updates to their Microsoft operating system. The Item 11 language above — franchisor-specified hardware and software, including new Operating System, virus-scanning, and cloud-based e-signature and document-storage software whenever Jackson Hewitt updates its computer requirements — is the operative fact for any pitch here.
Item 8 runs an approved-supplier list: offices must obtain all branded assets only from sources Jackson Hewitt designates or approves, with those required purchases estimated at 25% to 48% of setup costs and 11% to 17% of operating expenses. The royalty steps up from 3% of Gross Volume of Business in the first reporting year to 15% from the fourth on a 10-year initial term; renewal requires compliance checks, a general release, 6 to 12 months' notice, and signing Jackson Hewitt's then-current agreement.
The embedded viewer below carries Jackson Hewitt Tax Service's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, including the Item 8 and Item 11 language summarized above.
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Questions vendors ask
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Operator footprint
571 operators run 2,941 mapped locations. 254 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| TX | 280 |
|---|---|
| FL | 210 |
| NC | 188 |
| IL | 184 |
| TN | 155 |
Ownership
unknown of jackson hewitt tax service.
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Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.