United States of America: Issued interim ruling in FTC lawsuit against Intuit over alleged deceptive advertisements

On 6 September 2023, the Federal Trade Commission's Chief Administrative Law Judge issued its interim ruling in the lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against Intuit Inc. (Intuit) over the alleged use of deceptive advertisements related to their "free" tax filing service. The Judge found Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, guilty of deceptive advertising under the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act). Intuit misled consumers with "free" tax products and services that many couldn't use. To prevent future deceptive practices, the ruling requires Intuit to cease and desist from such actions and imposes strict conditions on advertising anything as free, including clear disclosures. Furthermore, the order includes specific prohibitions against misrepresentations regarding Intuit's tax services, mandates the distribution of the order for 20 years, and requires recordkeeping and reporting to ensure compliance.