Hey ,
I wanted to bring to your attention a recent development regarding TurboTax and its “free” tax preparation services claim.
In a significant setback to Intuit’s marketing efforts, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently ruled that Intuit must cease referring to TurboTax as “free.”
This ruling came after the FTC alleged that Intuit had been making it challenging for eligible taxpayers earning less than $69,000 annually to access their Free File option. Lawmakers voiced concerns
that this practice essentially misled consumers into paying for services that should have been provided free of charge.
The FTC complaint
led to Chief Administrative Law Judge D. Michael Chappell issuing a cease-and-desist order against Intuit, which will remain in effect for the next 20 years.
The order mandates that Intuit cannot advertise its services as “free” unless it genuinely offers free tax preparation to all consumers, or unless all terms and conditions necessary for obtaining the free service are explicitly and conspicuously disclosed at the outset of the offer.
This ruling has significant implications for both consumers and the tax preparation industry as a whole. It underscores the importance of transparency and accuracy in advertising practices.
For full transparency on all your tax filing needs, you can trust us. What you hear from us is what you get.Top of Form
Call our office at 202-618-1297 to book a quick tax chat with me, or click the link below.
