The company touts its free products, but in 2020, approximately two-thirds of taxpayers could not use the free version of its software, the FTC said. Consumers who could not use the products include gig workers who received 1099 forms, the FTC said.
“Far from steering taxpayers away from free tax preparation offerings, our free advertising campaigns have led to more Americans filing their taxes for free than ever before and have been central to raising awareness of free tax prep,” said the statement from Kerry McLean, executive vice president and general counsel of Intuit.
The complaint said Intuit engaged in a yearslong marketing campaign centered on the promise of “free” services. In at least one ad, the FTC said, there was a disclaimer on the screen while an announcer said “That’s right, TurboTax Free is free. Free, free free free.”