H&R Block said this week it would not offer a refund anticipation loan program during the 2012 tax. That was something of an academic statement since it did not offer them in 2011 and there's not enough money to go around to all the parties that previously provided RALs with most banks withdrawing or forced out of the market by regulators.

Block did not offer refund loans during the last tax season after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ordered its backer, HSBC Bank, to stop funding the loans. Block indicated the fact that some other firms had RALs because of different regulations  is unfair. "H&R Block strongly believes this regulation should be consistent across the tax preparation industry," the company said in a prepared statement. The company does plan to issue refund anticipation checks.