Start a Liberty Tax Service Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #400 Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $42K - $61K

Units as of 2024: 2,093 22% over 3 years

Liberty Tax Service is a tax preparation service that has locations in both the United States and Canada. It is one of the largest tax preparation franchises in the country, with over 2,500 franchised locations all over North America. In 1997, John Hewitt of Jackson Hewitt Tax Service acquired the Canadian franchise and gave it the name we know today.

As a franchisee, you’ll not only provide friendly, professional tax services in person but provide support for online services, as well. Customers have access to a W4 withholding calculator to figure out their income online, a mileage reimbursement calculator, and a reimbursement adjustment calculator. As a franchisee, you might also handle tax debt relief services, car insurance, roadside assistance, and more.

Why You May Want to Start a Liberty Tax Service Franchise

If there’s one thing that life guarantees, it’s taxes, and that's something that will likely never go out of style. Besides always being in demand, Liberty Tax Service designs its franchise process to ultimately benefit franchisees and your customers.

The company makes their brand one of the more affordable startups to invest in so you can grow quickly. It also leaves you money to customize your franchise location and really make it your own. With the franchise comes their iconic sign-twirling Lady Liberty mascot. Who says taxes aren’t fun?

This is a company that can truly benefit you as a franchisee, and give you the opportunity to change your clients’ lives. They’ll be able to learn taxes as you help them with their debt, questions, and tax anxiety. You’ll soon become one of their first choices when they search for “tax accountants near me.”

What Might Make a Liberty Tax Service Franchise a Good Choice?

Opening a Liberty Tax Service franchise means that the low startup cost could better benefit you in the future. But, as you should know, the franchise is only as good as the person running the business and offering services.

To be part of the Liberty Tax Service team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should be prepared for ongoing fees that will include advertising fees and royalty fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How to Open a Liberty Tax Service Franchise

Liberty Tax Service makes opening a franchise as straightforward a process as possible. The first step is to request information and a representative may be in touch with you. Thereafter, they will arrange for you to participate in a live conference call. You’ll then attend discovery day, a private meet-and-greet to speak with other franchisees, learn about the Liberty Tax Service culture, and discuss the Franchise Disclosure Document.

If all works out, you’ll fill out and submit the confidential franchise application and initial investment. On the company’s end, they’ll review your territory request, application, and set up a formal interview. After you complete their effective operations training, you’ll sign the paperwork that makes your franchise official.

Company Overview

About Liberty Tax Service

Industry	Financial Services
Related Categories	Tax Services, Business Financial Services
Founded	1972
Parent Company	BP LTCT LLC
Leadership	Scott Terrell, CEO
Corporate Address	2387 Liberty Wy. Virginia Beach, VA 23456
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1973 (52 years)
# of employees at HQ	363
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Canada
# of Units	2,093 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Liberty Tax Service franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$15,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$42,200 - $61,400
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$50,000
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	14%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	5 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

In-House Financing	Liberty Tax Service offers in-house financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, accounts receivable
Third Party Financing	Liberty Tax Service has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

Classroom Training	18.75 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	5-10
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes