HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — A multistate settlement means users of TurboTax in Pennsylvania could be owed money.
Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that consumers may have been misled by Intuit, the company that owns TurboTax, into paying for free tax services. Intuit agreed to a $141 million multistate settlement that included Pennsylvania.
Approximately 4.4 million consumers nationwide will receive checks in the mail as a result of the settlement. Pennsylvania will receive more than $4.76 million for the 158,779 consumers who were tricked into paying to file their federal tax returns.
What do I need to do?
Nothing. There are no forms to fill out or websites to visit. If you are eligible you will be contacted by email about the settlement, and checks are expected to be mailed in May.
Eligible consumers include those who paid to file their federal tax returns through TurboTax for tax years 2016, 2017, and 2018 — but were eligible to file for free through the IRS Free File Program. Consumers will receive a check in the mail automatically, without filing a claim.
“By requiring consumers to pay for tax-return services that should have been available for free, Intuit cheated taxpayers out of their hard-earned money,” said Attorney General Henry. “Intuit’s deceptive practices and aggressive advertising campaign were unnecessary and illegal; especially when the IRS offers free tax-return services for eligible consumers.”
In 2022, Attorneys General from Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, New York, Texas, and Washington, announced a $141 million multistate agreement with Intuit for deceiving millions of low-income Americans into paying for tax services that should have been free. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have signed onto the agreement.
The amount each consumer receives will be based on the number of tax years for which they qualify. Most consumers are expected to receive between $29 and $30. For more information about who is covered by the settlement, and information about the settlement fund, please visit www.AGTurboTaxSettlement.com.
