Intuit reaches settlement with US users over ‘free’ TurboTax claims
Up to 4.5m American taxpayers will receive restitution from TurboTax owner Intuit as part of a $141m settlement, following claims that low-income taxpayers were duped into paying to file their annual taxes when the service should have been free.
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Great article.
“The investigation was initiated following reports by non-profit campaigning site Propublica that claimed to have found evidence that Intuit executives knew they were deceiving customers through their advertising.”
Could it be happening here in the UK too? I wonder! Be good if a similar organisation took up the cause here……
Advertising standards should have gripped the greens and the blues long ago. Tax is not how they describe it to be, neither are their software programmes. Trouble is it is convenient for HMRC to use them as a front to deceive people.
Advertising standards should have gripped the greens and the blues long ago. Tax is not how they describe it to be, neither are their software programmes. Trouble is it is convenient for HMRC to use them as a front to deceive people.
And for those of us whose first language is English..........????
"The company will not face further fines in addition to the restitution paid to TurboTax users."
So ... 6-8 years later, despite lying and deliberately misleading people to pay money when they were not required to do so, there's no real penalty for the perpetrator (corporate or individuals).
Another knell being sounded as the last rites at the bedside of professional trust.
Strong comment, but not at all unfair. Trust has to be at the heart of these relationships.
Wow. Great article, Tom. The notion of 'free software' is the spectre that hangs over MTD - and all that entails.
I wonder would the US government take action against the various providers of ESTA application websites? (ESTA is the US visa waiver system for anyone who wants to visit the US.) The US government charges $14 but many other websites charge much more than that (£29.95 on one I've seen at random). Yet these websites do nothing more than send your data to the main government ESTA website. It's a real anti-consumer scam - and very easy to find yourself on a website that is done up to look like an official government website.