If you used the Turbo Tax online software to file taxes between the dates of JANUARY 12, 2008 and MAY 28, 2013 and agreed to have charges deducted from your tax return you might be a part of the Turbo Tax Fee Lawsuit Settlement. Please note that the lawsuit also includes people who paid tax preparation fees or e-filing fees. The lawsuit is entitled Smith et al. v. Intuit, Inc and claims that Turbo Tax violated California and federal consumer protection laws in connection with the Refund Processing Service offered through the online version of TurboTax when they charged customers deceptive fees related to the their tax returns. More information about the case can be requested by writing to: TurboTax Class Action Settlement Administrator, c/o Heffler Claims Group, P.O. Box 220 Philadelphia, PA 19105-0220. The class Administrators website provides relevant court documents related to the case to include the settlement agreement, the class notice and the claim form. The settlement agreement is estimated to be $6.5 million dollars.
Important dates in the Turbo Tax class action lawsuit are as follows:
- October 28, 2013: deadline to submit a claim
- September 23, 2013: last day to exclude yourself from the terms of the settlement
- August 28, 2013: objection deadline
- September 27, 2013: settlement fairness hearing date (you do not need to attend this hearing)
It is anticipated that each class member who file a valid claim will receive a settlement payment of over $10.00. The actual amount may be more or less depending on the amount of people who file. We feel Intuit will be more careful next tax season when disclosing fees for the Refund Processing Service as a finance charge. The case will be heard out of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. Tax season is never boring is it.
