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TaxAct Federal Pricing Was Lowered

Blucora cut the pricing for its federal tax products for tax season 2021, the company said this week. It noted the action as it reported a 6.4-percent increase for its consumer tax business, but an 8.1-percent decline in its professional tax software sales

 “We lowered federal pricing this year for the first time in at least five tax seasons,” CEO Christopher Walters noted during this week’s webcast for earnings for the first quarter ended March 31. “Depending upon the point in the season, we had a 20% to 50% discount relative to the market leader.”

However, the company said the launch of its Hybrid Assisted Offering led to an increase in the average retail price per unit for its TaxAct software line.

Revenue for professional tax software dropped to $13.3. million for the most recently ended quarter, down from $14.5 million a year earlier. Consumer tax revenue rose to $110.6 million, up from $103.8 million. Total tax revenue was $123.9 million, up 4.7 percent from $118.3 million in last year’s corresponding period.

The company recently soundly defeated an attempted by Ancora to elect four directors to its board. One point of contention was Ancora’s claim the TaxAct business has no relationship to the company’s Avantax wealth management operations and should be sold.

Avantax revenue rose 6.6 percent to $154.5 million from slightly less than $145 million.

The company reported net income of $27.6 million, compared to a loss of $315.5 million. Last year’s loss reflected a $270.6 million goodwill  impairment charge, related to its purcchase of HK Financial Services.

Total revenue was $278.4 million, a 4.7-percent increase from $263.3 million. 

The company made more money, partly because it cut marketing expenses. Wolters noted Blucora has revamped almost its entire marketing organization.

Bob Scott
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
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