United States of America: Issued final order in FTC lawsuit against Intuit over alleged deceptive advertisements

On 19 January 2024, the Federal Trade Commission issued its final order in the lawsuit brought against Intuit Inc. (Intuit) over the alleged use of deceptive advertisements related to their "free" tax filing service. The Order is accompanied by the public, redacted version of the Commission's Opinion detailing the rationale behind the Order. The order prohibits Intuit from advertising that its services are "free" unless they are free for all consumers. If services are not free for all, advertisements must clearly disclose the percentage of taxpayers who qualify and the eligibility criteria. The order also prohibits Intuit from misrepresenting the cost of its services, or implying taxpayers must use TurboTax to file or claim credits accurately. Intuit is required to distribute copies of the order to personnel, obtain signed acknowledgements, and submit compliance reports to the FTC. The company must retain records on advertising, personnel, complaints and compliance for 5 years. The order will terminate in 20 years, or 20 years after any complaint filed by the FTC alleging violation of the order.