#TURBOTAX 2015 FREE EFILE FOR FREE#
#TURBOTAX 2015 FREE EFILE SOFTWARE#
#TURBOTAX 2015 FREE EFILE CODE#

The IRS.gov/freefile page is promoted by the IRS as the only site where taxpayers can view all free offerings from the software providers.вЂќ John Lewis and Mike Kelly, didnвЂ™t immediately respond to requests for comment.ДЄn IRS spokesman declined to comment on Intuit but said in a statement, вЂњFree File has been a successful program and partnership that's benefited millions of taxpayers. Spokespeople for three of the billвЂ™s other sponsors, Sen. The Senate is currently in recess, and the fate of the Free File provision in the Taxpayer First Act is unclear.

#TURBOTAX 2015 FREE EFILE FOR FREE#

вЂњSteering eligible taxpayers away from filing for free or blocking the Free File page from search results violates the spirit of the agreement and calls into serious question the justification for the program.вЂќ вЂњThe IRS agreement with the tax-preparation software industry requires companies to work to increase the number of taxpayers who file their taxes for free,вЂќ he said. Wyden, who is a co-sponsor of the Taxpayer First Act, said IntuitвЂ™s actions have undermined the program. Intuit and other tax software companies have long lobbied for the language in the bill. The Senate is currently considering a wide-ranging, bipartisan bill, the Taxpayer First Act, that would make the tax software industryвЂ™s Free File deal with the IRS permanent. вЂњI just had to mention ProPublica,вЂќ one reader said.Д«ut the Google results for that search do not directly link to H&R BlockвЂ™s Free File landing page. Updated: If You Paid TurboTax but Make Under $34,000, You Could Get a Refund. вЂ¦ Our Free File Alliance offering, like all other alliance partners, is presented in the IRS site and easily reachable through the IRS, on, and also by googling вЂFFA H&R Block.вЂ™вЂќ Read More An H&R Block spokeswoman said: вЂњWe are proud that we have helped millions of Americans file their returns under the Free File Alliance program.

We found that IntuitвЂ™s smaller competitor in the market, H&R Block, also hid its H&R Block Free File product from Google using the same sort of code. Intuit is the dominant player in consumer tax software, with market share reportedly in the 60% range. Under the Free File deal, Intuit and other companies pledged to work вЂњto increase electronic filing of tax returns, which includes extending the benefits of online federal tax preparation and electronic filing to economically disadvantaged and underserved populations at no cost.вЂќ While 70% of taxpayers are eligible for Free File options from TurboTax and other tax software products, just 3% of eligible taxpayers or fewer use them each year. The fact that TurboTax Free File is effectively hidden from Google could contribute to the low rate of use. In exchange for the IRS promising not to create its own free, online filing tool, Intuit, H&R Block and other companies signed a deal to offer Free File options to lower-income Americans. It instructs Google and other search engines to вЂњindex,follow.вЂќДЄn Intuit spokesman didnвЂ™t immediately respond to requests for comment. (Special thanks to Larissa Williams on Twitter and Arkadiy Kulev on Reddit for pointing out the code.)ДЄnd hereвЂ™s the main page, which, despite the вЂњFREE GuaranteedвЂќ language, puts many users on track to pay.

#TURBOTAX 2015 FREE EFILE CODE#

HereвЂ™s the page for TurboTaxвЂ™s Free File edition.ДЄnd hereвЂ™s the code Intuit put in hiding it.

вЂњIntuitвЂ™s tactics to reduce access to the Free File program and confuse taxpayers are outrageous,вЂќ he said. Ron Wyden, the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement that he plans to raise IntuitвЂ™s misleading marketing with the IRS.

In contrast, the TurboTax page that puts many users on track to pay signals to Google that it should be listed in search results. The code on TurboTaxвЂ™s Free File site says вЂњnoindex,nofollowвЂќ - instructions for it not to show up in search results. вЂњRobots.txt is a big вЂNo, donвЂ™t go any furtherвЂ™ sign on the web,вЂќ Spool said.

Turbotax 2015 free efile