H&R Block Inc. on Thursday said its fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell 5 percent, as revenue declined and a series of unusual charges weighed down results.

The nation's largest tax preparation company said it earned $658.6 million, or $2.15 per share, in the quarter ended April 30. That compared with net income of $690.8 million, or $2.11 per share, in the year-earlier period.

The number of outstanding shares dropped 6 percent from last year, which helped lift per-share earnings for the recent quarter.

The results were affected by several charges, including costs equal to 6 cents per share related to the legal fight over the loss of its refund-anticipation loan program at the end of 2010 and severance costs for departed employees.

Revenue slipped one half percent to $2.33 billion from $2.34 billion last year. Revenue in its tax services division edged down in the quarter. Business services revenue -- its RSM McGladrey consulting unit -- fell 6 percent.

Analysts on average expected adjusted profit of $2.14 per share on revenue of $2.32 billion, according to data provided by FactSet.

Block prepared 21.4 million tax returns this year, up 6.5 percent from 2010. Growth came in both its retail stores, which added 500,000 customers, and through its digital products, which added 800,000 customers, with online do-it-yourself preparation leaping 29 percent. That was a significant gain, because Block's digital products lag rival Intuit's TurboTax.