FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · PENNSYLVANIA

Liberty Tax Service franchise in Pennsylvania: what the public record shows

Franchisees of Liberty Tax Service in Pennsylvania have taken 24 SBA loans since 1991 (average $130,195), and of the 17 loans whose story has ended, 35.3% were charged off — versus 11.5% for Liberty Tax Service nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.

SBA loan outcomes · Pennsylvaniavs national

Loans in PA

24

Resolved

17

Local charge-off

35.3%

National charge-off

11.5%

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = PA. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor.

Market density · Pennsylvania vs nationalTypical density

Businesses in this industry

898

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

6.9

national 8.1

Versus the country

-15%

thinner

Every business in Liberty Tax Service's industry operating in Pennsylvania — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.

Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Pennsylvania4 systems
SystemLoans in PALocal charge-offUnits in PA
Mail Boxes Etc. Usa318.0%
AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC190.0%
JACKSON HEWITT TAX SERVICE9thin
Fedex Ground8thin

Same sector, same state, same public records — how Liberty Tax Service compares to the systems a buyer in Pennsylvania would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.

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