A recent ruling by a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) administrative law judge has concluded that Intuit, the well-known maker of TurboTax filing software, engaged in deceptive advertising practices. The judge, D. Michael Chappell, found that Intuit had misled customers by claiming that its tax filing service was “free.” However, it was revealed that this claim was false for approximately two-thirds of taxpayers.
As a result of this ruling, Chappell has ordered Intuit to cease its deceptive advertising and mandated that the company include clear and conspicuous disclosures in future ads, specifying which customers are eligible for free filing.
Intuit had already anticipated this decision and expressed its intention to continue fighting the case. If necessary, the company is prepared to take the matter to a federal appeals court. In a blog post, released last Friday, Intuit strongly criticized the FTC’s flawed and questionable process, confidently asserting that the decision will ultimately be overturned.
The company also emphasized that it already adheres to most of the advertising practices outlined in the FTC’s erroneous decision. Furthermore, Intuit stated that there will be no monetary penalty and it does not anticipate any significant impact on its business.