Nearly 38,000 Mississippians will receive a check after paying for free Intuit TurboTax services.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that more than $1.15 million will be reimbursed to state residents stemming from a $141-million multistate settlement involving consumers being tricked into paying for services that are offered at no cost elsewhere.
“Nearly 38,000 Mississippians were misled into paying for tax filing services that should have been free,” Fitch said. “I am pleased these Mississippians will finally receive some restitution and I am hopeful this investigation and settlement will put an end to similar deceptive marketing practices.”
The settlement is the result of a multistate investigation that found that Intuit was using deceptive digital tactics to steer low-income consumers toward its commercial products and away from federally-supported free tax services.
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.
Approximately 4.4 million consumers nationwide will receive checks in the mail from the settlement. Eligible consumers will be contacted by email about the settlement and will not need to file any claims.
These consumers will receive a check in the mail automatically, without filing a claim. Checks are expected to be mailed out starting this week. 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.
“As with any financial matter, be on the lookout for scams or phishing. My office will not be contacting you regarding this matter. Consumers are advised that they do not have to pay money or provide account information to receive their payment,” Fitch added. “If you receive any email regarding this settlement, be sure it comes from the domain @rcnotifications.com.”
For more information about who is covered by the settlement, and information about the settlement fund, click here.
