TurboTax owner to pay $141M to U.S. customers over misleading ‘free’ ads
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Intuit to Pay $141M in Settlement Over Misleading Free Tax-Filing Ads
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Image copyright: AP Photo [via Snopes]
The Facts
NY AG Letitia James announced Wed. that Intuit, which owns TurboTax, will pay $141M to settle a claim from all 50 states and DC that it deceived nearly 4.4M Americans into paying for tax services that should've been free.
The investigation into Intuit started after a 2019 ProPublica report found the company was using deceptive tactics to steer low-income tax filers away from federally supported free services for which they qualified and, instead, toward its own commercial products.
The Spin
Narrative A
Intuit very clearly ripped off its users, and justice has been served. Executives at the company knew full well they were deceiving customers, which is unethical and a clear violation of the law.
Establishment-critical narrative
Though this settlement is a positive step in holding a large company accountable for shady business practices, there are systemic issues that must be dealt with. Intuit employed former government officials, including former members of Congress, for its lobbying efforts, much like many other large companies and corporations. It's essential that these practices are prosecuted across the board.
