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FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

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Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#71

Post by daswerth »

bubblethink wrote: post #57
daswerth wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.irs.gov/about-irs/strategic-plan/direct-file Not to be confused with IRS Free File

Hah, saw that you edited the url. These government naming schemes are designed to fail. Why do they pick these absolute terms like "free" when there will clearly be some new thing that will be better? I'm waiting for the next version of REAL id, a realer id.

For real. I did some reading to try to understand the rationale. I _think_ Free File is a general program which lots of "services" can participate in, including TurboTax. Direct File is akin to (but maybe not actually the same as) a IRS offering in the Free File program.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#72

Post by dehrmann »

WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #13

Finally, something is being done. Paying taxes should be free for most people. Especially if you only have to deal with the standard deductions.

A 1040EZ covers that case and filing it is the cost of the stamp and envelope.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#73

Post by Guvante »

bubblethink wrote: post #42
keepamovin wrote: post #39

Finally! This is only 30 years too late. Also, let’s hope the IRS’ current beta of self filing app is successful.

This will get stayed during the appeal, so status quo will remain for this tax season. And next year there are many new variables, potentially a new government, SC's Chevron ruling which may limit what FTC can do, etc. I don't think this is going to stick.

Honestly it might not. It sounds like Intuit already has prepared advertising that fulfils the requirements from threads here.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#74

Post by jjulius »

avalys wrote: post #61
AdieuToLogic wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Do you get upset at criminal defense lawyers who defend people who are obviously guilty ... This is an obvious Straw man[0] fallacy. Intuit is a corporation engaged in lobbying efforts in order to retain and/or expand its market-share and not an individual needing representation in a criminal indictment. Unless your position is that Intuit corporate officers should be criminally prosecuted, which, if that is the ca…

The system requires criminal defense attorneys to lobby for their client, even if this results in objectively bad outcomes in specific situations. Similarly, the system requires that anyone (including shareholders or employees of companies) be able to communicate with their political representatives about political policy. Even if sometimes this results in bad outcomes in specific situations.

The suggestion that citizens have equal access to communicate with their political reps as corporations is also laughable.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#75

Post by Guvante »

dehrmann wrote: post #72
WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #13

Finally, something is being done. Paying taxes should be free for most people. Especially if you only have to deal with the standard deductions.

A 1040EZ covers that case and filing it is the cost of the stamp and envelope.

The federal government can do a 1040EZ for you.

Intuit has blocked government attempts to do that by offering free taxes for half of Americans (that was the deal).

Of course they decided to renegade and only do 37% per their advertising.

Hilarious since they had the "federal is free but you need to pay for state" scam going already.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#76

Post by wharvle »

cityofdelusion wrote: post #54
sharps1 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had to look this up as I didn’t grow up in the States. It was A&W. https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/06/17/third-pound-burger-fr... Crazy.

This story has to be apocryphal, as fractions aren't _that_ rare, especially in the U.S. with its imperial system and third of a cup measurements or quarter inches or half miles and so on.

Anecdotally, it seems like working with fractions is where a lot of people fall off the math-train and never get back on.

… yes, that early.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#77

Post by ghaff »

munk-a wrote: post #69
kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They've always been no more then the cost of a stamp.

That's extremely disingenuous and ignores the amount of labor required to self-file in the US. Most of the information you send to the IRS they already know - they just can't tell you because Intuit wants to justify their existence.

If your taxes are complicated, certainly, you'll probably be prudent to use an accountant. (Which I do.) A basic filing like most people have is pretty straightforward (though there should still be a pre-filled out form whether you choose to use it or not). There's this perpetuated myth that filing taxes is really complicated even if you just have a W-2 as is the case for many. And it's simply not true.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#78

Post by hunter2_ »

ijhuygft776 wrote: post #43
WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #13

Finally, something is being done. Paying taxes should be free for most people. Especially if you only have to deal with the standard deductions.

Our documents should not be sent automatically to the IRS if the IRS won't figure out our taxes.

They will figure out your taxes (according to whatever information they have at the time) and retaliate if you file something that doesn't jibe.

They just won't do it before you do. That way, they might learn things they didn't yet know, from people who decide (as legally obligated) to divulge additional information. I assume that they assume that far fewer people would divulge additional information, if their "you talk first, I talk second" tactic went away.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#79

Post by ok_dad »

ghaff wrote: post #49
WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #13

Finally, something is being done. Paying taxes should be free for most people. Especially if you only have to deal with the standard deductions.

If you're standard deduction and just have a few simple sources of income, filing is easily free. Should it be electronic and pre-filled? Yes. But this idea that you need an accountant or tax prep software if you have a W-2 and a 1099 just isn't true. The forms are free.

Awesome, let's do better and have the IRS fill out your form in Feb or March, mail it to you, and if you disagree you can still file yourself. That way, 95% of cases are covered and don't have to even deal with taxes.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#80

Post by avalys »

jjulius wrote: post #74
avalys wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The system requires criminal defense attorneys to lobby for their client, even if this results in objectively bad outcomes in specific situations. Similarly, the system requires that anyone (including shareholders or employees of companies) be able to communicate with their political representatives about political policy. Even if sometimes this results in bad outcomes in specific situations.

The suggestion that citizens have equal access to communicate with their political reps as corporations is also laughable.

A corporation can represent the interests of hundreds or thousands of people - investors, shareholders, employees, customers (who depend on the product), etc.

The larger corporations, even more so.

But still, the Congressional office buildings are open to the public. Anyone can walk in and present their case. Yes, of course a senator cannot make as much time to meet with the millions of individual citizens as they can with the 500 individual Fortune 500 companies. I don’t think this defeats my argument. An individual citizen is objectively less important than a company involving tens or hundreds of thousands of citizens.

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