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

Post by redrove » Tue, Jan 23, 2024, 8:43 AM UTC

consp wrote: post #200

redrove wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, in Sweden the taxes are also insane. I’d rather have to pay some middleman a paltry sum every year than pay 30% more tax just for the privilege of the government automatically calculating them for me. Not saying the US shouldn’t do this automatically, I’m merely pointing out it’s not a 1 to 1 comparison.

If you include healthcare, daycare, state pensions, disability insurance, employment insurance etc as a tax (which it is in most cases with more tax) the "insane" amount isn't that insane anymore.

Post by m463 » Tue, Jan 23, 2024, 8:53 AM UTC

halJordan wrote: post #28

logiduck wrote: post #22

I just saw an TurboTax Ad where a guy was like "I Like free stuff" and then it said he was "happy to read the disclaimer" on TurboTax and see that "Roughly 37% of taxpayers qualify" which he looks thoughtfully in the distance and says "Thats me!" I thought it was a funny commercial because 37% doesn't seem like a lot and Turbotax is portraying it as the average person will identify themselves as part of that 37% even…

I agree on every level, but I'm compelled to remind you this is the America where wendy's (?) had to revert to a 1/4 pounder from a 1/3 pounder bc people thought they were getting less meat. And let's not forget the ever-present anti-education cohort that can't be convinced math is good even when you tell them it's how you calculate discounts or tips.

  VINCENT: And in Paris, you can buy a beer at McDonald's. And you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?

  JULES: They don't call it a Quarter Pounder with Cheese?

  VINCENT: No, they got the metric system there, they wouldn't know what the f*** a Quarter Pounder is.

  JULES: Then what do they call it?

  VINCENT: They call it Royale with Cheese.

  JULES: Royale with Cheese. What do they call a Big Mac?

  VINCENT: Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it Le Big Mac.

Post by rightbyte » Tue, Jan 23, 2024, 9:02 AM UTC

quantified wrote: post #11

MathMonkeyMan wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Free government-provided tax calculators and online filing are an existential threat to Intuit. I think that the business should not exist (or should be scaled down to a fraction of its size, as an accountant's tool), but can you blame them for trying to block the deathblow?

Sure. How much don't you blame the rat whose claws are embedded in your hand as you try to throw it in the river?

Post by maelito » Tue, Jan 23, 2024, 9:19 AM UTC

redrove wrote: post #197

mfi wrote: post #168

In Sweden, for most citizen the tax authority does the tax declaration for you. If you don't want to do any changes (which most people doesn't have to), you simply write a text to them [1]. [1] https://skatteverket.se/servicelankar/otherlanguages/inengli...

To be fair, in Sweden the taxes are also insane. I’d rather have to pay some middleman a paltry sum every year than pay 30% more tax just for the privilege of the government automatically calculating them for me. Not saying the US shouldn’t do this automatically, I’m merely pointing out it’s not a 1 to 1 comparison.

Post by Broken_Hippo » Tue, Jan 23, 2024, 9:29 AM UTC

8note wrote: post #174

xivzgrev wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is generally a good thing for folks who live paycheck to paycheck. Higher withholding forces more budgeting, and then they get a big paycheck once a year to pay off whatever

If they were budgeting, they wouldn't be living paycheck to paycheck. It makes the budgeting more challenging to give the government and interest free loan. However, giving the government an automatic loan means that a land lord cannot charge that much more in rent, and the owner does get to spend it eventually, rather than throwing it into a rent pit