Liberty Tax Service began in 1998; in 2004, it employed people dressed as the Statue of Liberty to stand on sidewalks and bring in customers.
For many people, it’s a sign that it’s tax season. “You know its tax season when you see people dressed as the statue of liberty in the dead of winter w a sign” was posted on Twitter on January 2, 2010. “You know it’s tax season when Liberty Tax has a Statue of Liberty standing on the street corner, waving lol” was posted on Twitter on January 13, 2010. “You know its tax season when you see those dumb people dancing on the sidewalk in a statue of liberty costume. Simpletons. Smh” was posted on Twitter on January 18, 2010.
Wikipedia: Liberty Tax Service
Liberty Tax Service is an American company specializing in the preparation of tax returns for individuals and small businesses. It is the third largest tax preparation franchise in the United States. The company began in Canada in 1997 when John Hewitt, co-founder of Jackson Hewitt, acquired a Canadian tax franchisor, U&R Tax Depot. In 1998, the company became Liberty Tax Service and opened five offices in the United States. Liberty Tax Service is the primary subsidiary of Liberty Tax, Inc., a NASDAQ-traded company.
Liberty Tax Service appeared on Forbes “Top 20 Franchises for the Buck” in 2012. Liberty Tax Service is well known for its wavers, people in Statue of Liberty costumes and Uncle Sam costumes, used as a form of guerrilla marketing. On October 28, 2011, a flash mob of costumed Lady Libertys danced in Times Square to promote Liberty Tax Service and celebrate the anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.
Google Groups: misc.taxes
Does Circ 230 now permit cold call solicitations to those with tax liens
Arthur Kamlet
10/28/04
(...)
Does anyone have Liberty Tax Services storefronts near them?
Last tax season, Liberty hired people to dress as Uncle Sam or the Statue of Liberty and literally wave passersby into their store.
A decidedly different business model.
Twitter
Mimeerz
@flawlessmi
You know its tax season when you see people dressed as the statue of liberty in the dead of winter w a sign
4:31 PM - 2 Jan 2010
Twitter
Sonya M
@SL22268
You know it’s tax season when Liberty Tax has a Statue of Liberty standing on the street corner, waving lol
9:20 AM - 13 Jan 2010
Twitter
Worldwide Marc
@markuzrob
You know its tax season when you see those dumb people dancing on the sidewalk in a statue of liberty costume. Simpletons. Smh
2:11 PM - 18 Jan 2010
Twitter
Who is TheMRMR
@TheMRMR
You know its tax season when you see homeless people dancin on 8mile in statue of liberty costumes
12:14 PM - 22 Jan 2010
Google Groups: alt.religion.kibology
Re: What has the Statue of Liberty got to do with tax season?
Jared
4/14/10
On Apr 14, 6:10 am, Mark Edwards
wrote:
> I donut geddit. What has the Statue of Liberty (SoL) got to do with
> tax season?
>
> It seems like every tax preparation company in town has an inflatable
> SoL on its lot; a dancing, performing, sign-bearing SoL-costumed kid;
> or huge SoL posters pasted on its windows.
I don’t believe it’s _every_ tax prep service. Just one, which calls itself “Liberty Tax Service”. They may have opened many franchises, but I don’t believe H&R Block, for instance, is using people dressed as the SoL.
20 February 2011, The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), “Cash that costs” by Diane Dietz, pg. A1:
Liberty Tax Service, which attracts attention with people in Statue of Liberty costumes dancing and waving signs on street corners, opened a third outlet in Eugene-Springfield this year.
23 March 2011, St. Petersburg (FL) Times, “Cities Clamp Down on ADS’ Lady Liberty” by Anne Lindberg, pg. 1:
The issue tends to come up this time of year - income tax season - when Liberty Tax Service has people dress up like the Statue of Liberty.
These days, the battle has moved from Clearwater to Pinellas Park, where officials say they have great respect for patriotic symbols like Lady Liberty, as long as she stays off the street and keeps her torch in the air rather than waving at passing drivers.
8 March 2016, Boston (MA) Globe, “Lady Liberty gets minimum wage” by Cristela Guerra, pg. G1:
Sometimes people give the Statue of Liberty the finger.
Not New York City’s actual copper colossus, but seasonal marketers employed by the country’s third-largest tax preparation company, Liberty Tax Service. You know it’s tax season when Liberty’s army of workers take to the streets. Draped in green robes, they don crowns of seven spikes to dance, wave, and gesture wildly in busy intersections.
Itemlive (Lynn, MA)
WHAT’S WITH THE DANCING STATUES OF LIBERTY ALL OVER THE PLACE?
BY GAYLA CAWLEY | January 25, 2018
LYNN — Liberty Tax Service on Lewis Street tries to get people excited about doing their taxes, which is usually a mundane experience, by stationing dancing Statue of Liberty mascots outside the business.
Arianna Murrell-Rosario, branch manager of the Lewis Street business, said the Statue of Liberty is part of the branding process — the people dressed up as Lady Liberty, which are referred to as wavers, dance or play instruments, and are designed to attract businesses to the various locations across the country.
Murrell-Rosario said the wavers only make an appearance while the company is open during tax season, which started this year on Jan. 8 and ends on April 17. Sometimes, Uncle Sam makes an appearance. The concept was started by the company’s corporate office in 2004.
Twitter
Nick
@Nick_Italiano
You know it’s Tax Season when a whole bunch of dancing statue of liberties start popping up all over the city.
9:14 PM - 25 Jan 2018
Twitter
Glitterstim
@Glitterstim
You know it’s tax season when….
#libertytax #dancingtaxman
(Short clip is shown.—ed.)
5:37 PM - 27 Jan 2018 from Chesapeake, VA