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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

#61
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you get upset at criminal defense lawyers who defend people who are obviously guilty (i.e. by getting clear and convincing evidence disqualified because of a procedural error?) Or, would you say something like "The outcomes are not perfect but that's how the system works and stays as fair as possible for everyone"?

> 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.

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

#62

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

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

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

#63
post #45
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We can be upset at politicians for "selling out" to the lobbyists. We can be upset at lobbyists for pushing things that they know aren't in the best interests of consumers. We can be upset at businesses for wanting to take advantage of consumers for their own gain. All of these can be true at the same time.

The difference between those three groups is that the politicians are the only ones not doing the job expected of them. Lobbyists are supposed to lobby on behalf of whoever pays them. Businesses are supposed to advocate for the interest of themselves, their shareholders, and their employees. It would be verging on incompetence for a business to ignore a political debate that would effectively destroy the business ove…

Businesses can lobby for their own self-interest without taking such a staunch anti-consumer stance. Technically, you're not wrong. But Intuit happens to own MailChimp, QuickBooks and Credit Karma beyond TurboTax.

There's no reason they shouldn't be able to find a way to remain a profitable business between most of what they own. To go above and beyond with such an anti-consumer perspective with regards to filing is absolutely egregious.

Put simply (or reductively, take your pick) - there's "advocating for the interest of their business" (nods head) and "advocating for the interest of their business" (shakes head).

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

#64
post #4

> This decision is the result of a biased and broken system where the Commission serves as accuser, judge, jury, and then appellate judge all in the same case Interesting argument, but also a distraction from "we lied in advertising." > It could also clearly disclose the percentage of customers that actually do qualify for the free service, somewhere close to the “free” claim advertised, the commission said. They ran…

Their phrasing is specific to align themselves with the current supreme Court review of deference.

They'll likely delay until that decision has come down and they hope they can just claim the laws were unconstitutional in the first place.

https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/01/supreme-court-to-hear-maj...

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

#65
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.

I did teacher's college in Canada and the teacher who taught math said his biggest surprise when he moved from Europe to Canada is how terrible people were with fraction. I think he asked a barista to fill his cup to 2/3 and they couldn't do it because they didn't know what 2/3 was.

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

#66
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I came here to say the above. But let me add the following… Intuit is a criminal lobbying organization.

What laws have they broken?

Well, apparently they've been putting out deceptive advertising.

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

#67
post #61

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.

[deleted]

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

#69

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

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.

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

#70

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

I came here to say the above. But let me add the following… Intuit is a criminal lobbying organization.

I guess they’re not doing a great job then? Because of the auto-filing/IRS-backed filing system being developed?
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