SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

6 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NOTE 1: SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

BASIS OF PRESENTATION – The consolidated balance sheets as of October 31, 2020 and 2019, the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the three and six months ended October 31, 2020 and 2019, the consolidated statements of cash flows for the six months ended October 31, 2020 and 2019, and the consolidated statements of stockholders' equity for the three and six months ended October 31, 2020 and 2019 have been prepared by the Company, without audit. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows as of October 31, 2020 and 2019 and for all periods presented, have been made.

"H&R Block," "the Company," "we," "our," and "us" are used interchangeably to refer to H&R Block, Inc. or to H&R Block, Inc. and its subsidiaries, as appropriate to the context.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) have been condensed or omitted. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in our April 30, 2020 Annual Report to Shareholders on Form 10-K. All amounts presented herein as of April 30, 2020 or for the year then ended are derived from our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

MANAGEMENT ESTIMATES – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates, assumptions and judgments are applied in the evaluation of contingent losses arising from our discontinued mortgage business, contingent losses associated with pending claims and litigation, reserves for uncertain tax positions, fair value of reporting units, and related matters. Estimates have been prepared based on the best information available as of each balance sheet date. As such, actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

SEASONALITY OF BUSINESS – Because the majority of our clients file their tax returns during the period from February through April in a typical year, a substantial majority of our revenues from income tax return preparation and related services and products are earned during this period. As a result, we generally operate at a loss through the first three quarters of our fiscal year. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 21, 2020, the federal tax filing deadline in the United States (U.S.) for individual 2019 tax returns was extended from April 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020. Substantially all U.S. states with an April 15 individual state income tax filing requirement extended their respective deadlines. In Canada, the deadline for individuals to file was extended to June 1, 2020. These extensions impacted the typical seasonality of our business and the comparability of our financial results. Consequently, a portion of revenues and expenses that would have normally been recognized in our fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020 shifted to the first two quarters of fiscal year 2021. Results for interim periods are not indicative of results to be expected for the full fiscal year.

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS – Our discontinued operations include the results of operations of Sand Canyon Corporation, previously known as Option One Mortgage Corporation (including its subsidiaries, collectively, SCC), which exited its mortgage business in fiscal year 2008. See note 10 for additional information on litigation, claims, and other loss contingencies related to our discontinued operations.

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS – 

Current Expected Credit Losses. In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13 (ASU 2016-13), "Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments," which replaces the existing incurred credit loss model for an expected credit loss model. We adopted ASU 2016-13 as of May 1, 2020, which did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.