U.S. regulators have barred TurboTax maker Intuit Inc. from advertising its services as "free" unless they are free for all customers, or if eligibility is clearly disclosed.
In an opinion and final order issued Monday, the Federal Trade Commission ruled that Intuit engaged in deceptive practices by running ads claiming consumers could file their taxes for free using
TurboTax though many people did not qualify for such free offerings.
"The character of the past violations is egregious," reads the FTC commissioners' opinion, which details Intuit ads across TV, radio and online over the years. "Intuit blanketed the country with deceptive ads to taxpayers across multiple media channels."
In addition to prohibiting Intuit from marketing its products or services as free unless there's actually no cost for everyone, the FTC's order requires Intuit to disclose what percentage of consumers are eligible and note if a majority of More