However, the Virginian-Pilot newspaper reported “Hewitt has described a new tax and accounting business that would target small business customers by preparing their financial statements and tax returns, a brokerage firm that would advise on mergers, acquisitions and sales, and a bartering business.”

An image of the evite notice was posted on Hewitt’s Facebook page. The LinkedIn profile of Angela Ianni, a former Liberty Tax employee, lists her title as VP of operations for Loyalty Brands starting in September.

She worked for the tax franchisor from March 2012 and was chief of staff from January through September. Hewitt provided limited information in exchanges on his Facebook page. However, he did respond to one inquiry that there will be another event June 22 and 23. Hewitt, still Liberty's chairman, controls the company through his Class B shares.

Liberty tax stores prepare returns and while they don't provide accounting services, a Liberty operation, 360 Accounting Solutions, is in that line of business run under Liberty's SiempreTax franchising chain for the Hispanic market. The 360 business is apparently still in very early stages.

Bob Scott

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Bob Scott has provided information to the tax and accounting community since 1991, first as technology editor of Accounting Today, and from 1997 through 2009 as editor of its sister publication, Accounting Technology. He is known throughout the industry for his depth of knowledge and for his high journalistic standards.  Scott has made frequent appearances as a speaker, moderator and panelist and events serving tax and accounting professionals. He  has a strong background in computer journalism as an editor with two former trade publications, Computer+Software News and MIS Week and spent several years with weekly and daily newspapers in Morris County New Jersey prior to that.  A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in journalism, Bob is a native of Madison, Ind