H&R Block vs IRS Direct File
AI visibility head-to-head, Tax Software — run #78 (2026-08-01). H&R Block leads with statistical confidence (non-overlapping 95% CIs).
H&R Block · leads
43.9
95% CI41.2–46.3
Industry rank#2
perplexity42.7
google-search44.2
openai-search40.1
google45.2
openai44.0
anthropic39.3
vs
IRS Direct File
18.9
95% CI15.4–21.8
Industry rank#9
perplexity24.7
google-search24.0
openai-search16.9
google26.7
openai15.5
anthropic26.8
By question type
Share of answers mentioning each brand, split by the intent behind the question. The panel asks 10 prompts of each type, so a lead here shows where one brand wins — not just that it wins overall.
| Question type | H&R Block | IRS Direct File |
|---|---|---|
| Recommendations “What's the best option for me?” | 78% | 13% |
| Comparisons “How do the top options stack up?” | 44% | 10% |
| Ready to buy “Which one should I actually get?” | 75% | 11% |
| Problem-solving “I have this problem — what fixes it?” | 58% | 23% |
| Informational “How does this kind of product work?” | 22% | 24% |
Bold marks the higher point estimate; the headline verdict above uses non-overlapping confidence intervals. Methodology
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