What Independent Council of Jackson Hewitt Franchisees does

The Independent Council of Jackson Hewitt Franchisees (ICJHF) is a non-profit membership association founded in October 2008 to serve as the sole representative body of Jackson Hewitt franchise owners in the United States. Headquartered in Schererville, Indiana, the organization is governed by a 15-member volunteer Board of Directors representing six geographic regions (South, Midwest, Frontier, Pacific, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast) plus three at-large seats, with separate representation for large operators (more than 6,000 tax returns per season) and small operators (fewer than 6,000 returns). ICJHF provides a structured channel through which franchise-elected directors meet face-to-face with Jackson Hewitt Inc. (JHI) executives multiple times per year to address franchisee issues independently of the franchisor.

ICJHF operates a two-tier membership model. All Jackson Hewitt franchisees are Associate Members by default under the ICJHF By-Laws at no cost, with limited access to member areas. Full Membership is paid and tiered by territory count, ranging from $99 annually for one territory to $849 for eleven or more territories. Full Members receive access to the ICJHF message board, a document library of best practices and downloadable files, nationwide franchisee survey participation, a network of 300+ franchisees, bi-monthly topic-specific webinars hosted by franchisee experts, regional round-table discussions, a discounted annual meeting registration rate, and weighted voting rights (2–5 votes per ballot) tied to territory count. The organization is not technology-led: its platform consists of a Joomla-based website with RSMembership subscription management, a member forum, and Zoom-hosted webinars.

The business model is straightforward non-profit subscription dues. ICJHF derives all revenue from annual membership dues paid by Jackson Hewitt franchisees, with no disclosed revenue figures, no external funding, no parent company, and a volunteer-led governance structure. Marketing and member acquisition occur primarily through the website, email communications, regional round-tables, the annual meeting, and word-of-mouth referrals from existing members and Board directors within their respective regions.

Name

Independent Council of Jackson Hewitt Franchisees

Legal name

Independent Council of Jackson Hewitt Franchisees

Website

https://icjhf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Independent Council of Jackson Hewitt Franchisees (ICJHF) is a non-profit membership association founded in 2008 that serves as the sole representative body for Jackson Hewitt franchise owners in the United States, providing governance, advocacy, peer knowledge-sharing, and education to a network of 300+ franchisees through tiered annual dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Schererville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: ICJHF operates as a non-profit organization with revenues derived entirely from annual membership dues paid by Jackson Hewitt franchisees. Dues are tiered based on the number of territories owned, ranging from $99 for one territory to $849 for eleven or more territories.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ICJHF is a non-profit membership association that serves as the sole representative body of Jackson Hewitt franchise owners. It provides collective representation to Jackson Hewitt Inc. executive leadership, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing through a forum/message board and document library, regional round-tables, bi-monthly webinars, and an annual meeting, with voting rights weighted by territory count. The organization is funded by tiered annual membership dues paid by franchisees.

Product overview

The Independent Council of Jackson Hewitt Franchisees operates as a non-profit membership organization representing Jackson Hewitt franchise owners. The organization offers two membership tiers: Associate Membership (free, default for all franchisees) and Full Membership (paid, starting at $99 for one territory). Full Membership provides access to the ICJHF Forum/Message Board, Document Library of best practices, franchisee survey system, topic-specific webinars, regional round-table discussions, and the Annual Meeting. The portfolio centers on peer knowledge-sharing and collective representation rather than a technology product platform. Members can also serve on the Board of Directors, participate in focus groups and committees, and vote on association matters with a weighted voting system tied to territory ownership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full Membership Annual paid membership tier for Jackson Hewitt franchisees, priced from $99 (one territory) to $849 (11+ territories), granting access to the ICJHF message board, business-building library of best practices, network of 300+ franchisees, franchisee survey participation, bi-monthly webinars, regional round-table invitations, discounted Annual Meeting registration, and eligibility to serve on the Board of Directors, committees, and focus groups with weighted voting on all association matters.
• Associate Membership Free membership tier automatically granted to all Jackson Hewitt franchisees per the ICJHF By-Laws, offering limited access to member areas and the ability to vote in annual Board of Directors elections, but no access to the ICJHF message board or full member benefits.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Jackson Hewitt Inc. (JHI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2008ICJHF is the sole representative body of Jackson Hewitt franchise owners (since October 2008). The ICJHF Board of Directors meets face-to-face with JHI executives several times throughout the year as well as on conference calls to address issues affecting franchisees. This is a formal governance relationship where franchisee-elected directors advocate for franchisee interests and discuss critical business issues with Jackson Hewitt leadership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees: Coalition of 7-Eleven franchisee associations that advocates for franchisee interests with the franchisor; structurally and functionally analogous to ICJHF as a single-system franchisee representative body.
• Coalition of Franchisee Associations (CFA): Umbrella organization for franchisee associations across multiple brands; ICJHF could plausibly join or be represented through such multi-brand coalitions to amplify advocacy.
• H&R Block Franchise Association: Closest tax-preparation industry analog; a franchisee representative body for H&R Block would serve an almost identical mission, customer base, and franchise model as ICJHF for Jackson Hewitt.
• Subway Independent Franchise Owners (SIFO): Independent franchisee association for Subway operators with formal Board representation and advocacy role; same single-franchisor advocacy structure as ICJHF.
• Dunkin' Donuts Independent Franchise Owners (DDIFO): Independent association representing Dunkin' franchise owners with elected regional leadership and dues-funded operations; directly comparable in mission, governance, and funding model to ICJHF.
• McDonald's Owner/Operators Association: Represents McDonald's owner/operators with regional governance and direct engagement with McDonald's corporate; a large-scale analog of ICJHF's franchisee representative model.

Broad incumbents

• American Association of Franchisees and Dealers (AAFD): National non-profit advocating for franchisee rights across many systems; provides a broader franchisee-protection umbrella that complements single-system associations like ICJHF.
• International Franchise Association (IFA): Largest trade association for the franchise industry broadly; represents both franchisors and franchisees across all sectors and is a logical ecosystem counterpart to a single-system body like ICJHF.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Independent Council of Jackson Hewitt Franchisees