H&R Block adds IBM's Watson to its tax team

H&R Block Inc. is working IBM's Watson supercomputer this tax season.

The company said Wednesday that its employees will work with Watson to identify credits and deductions and find other solutions for customers. It's the first time Watson, which has been used in health care, retail and other settings, will be applied to tax preparation.

H&R Block and IBM trained Watson in the language of tax. The system will apply that knowledge to the thousands of questions and topics discussed during the return-filing process.

H&R Block, which is based in Kansas City, Missouri, said it expects its use of Watson will expand over time.