Intuit, the well-known software company behind TurboTax, is facing accusations of deceptive advertising from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC judge recently ruled that Intuit violated the law by falsely advertising TurboTax as a “free” service.
Chief Administrative Law Judge D. Michael Chappell has ordered Intuit to cease-and-desist from promoting TurboTax as “free” unless it is genuinely available to all customers or clear limitations are specified. This ruling comes after the FTC filed a complaint in March of this year, alleging that Intuit misled customers with its “free” tax filing advertisements.
The FTC argues that these ads are deceptive because they exclude a significant portion of taxpayers, such as gig economy workers or those with farm income. According to the FTC, Intuit’s claims of offering “free” tax filing are unfounded and misleading to consumers.
Intuit, however, plans to appeal the ruling, claiming that the entire process was flawed and biased in favor of the FTC. The company insists that it already complies with most advertising practices outlined by the FTC and believes the claims against them are baseless.
The ruling is currently awaiting review from the full FTC, and it is expected that the decision will be upheld. Despite this setback, Intuit remains confident that their business will not be significantly impacted. Along with TurboTax, Intuit also owns other popular software platforms such as Quickbooks, Mint, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp.
Intuit’s stance on the matter is that the ruling will have minimal impact on its overall operations. However, the outcome of this legal battle and the potential implications for Intuit’s future advertising practices are yet to be seen. Stay tuned to Poh Diaries for updates on this ongoing case.
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