ProPublica Targets TurboTax Again #2

TurboTax Uses A “Military Discount” to Trick Troops Into Paying to File Their Taxes

I placed the following comment on their website. It might be deleted.

This article is deceptive. It ambiguously uses “Free File”, which may refer to (1) the Free Edition on TurboTax web-sites, or (2) the free version of TurboTax in the Free File Alliance. A military person with less than $66,000 income can file free using #2. However, some cannot do so using #1, such as Zimmerman. She wanted a retirement savings credit, and it not being supported by #1 is disclosed. Click on “Simple tax returns” and a popup appears, saying that the TurboTax Free Edition does not support credits, deductions and income reported on schedules 1-6. The retirement savings credit is claimed on Schedule 3. Hence, the Free Edition does not support it.

If Zimmerman had included “Alliance’” among her search terms, a link to #2 would have been among the top results.

Some implicit premises behind ProPublica’s rants against TurboTax follow.

- TurboTax is responsible for making its web-pages fool-proof.

- TurboTax is 100% responsible for any user’s lack of knowledge, effort, or searching skills, such as omitting “Alliance” among the search terms.

- TurboTax should direct any user who might be able to file free to the Free File Alliance, where TurboTax competitors are equally prominent. How often do you see ProPublica directing viewers to read its competitors’ websites?

If ProPublica wanted to live up to its motto “Journalism in the Public Interest”, then it would do another article. The article would clearly distinguish between #1 and #2 and cover important differences between the two. Its aim would be to educate the public rather than take pot-shots at TurboTax.