Editing TurboTax (section)

{{short description|US tax preparation software}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox software
| name = TurboTax
| logo = Turbotax logo.svg
| logo size =
| screenshot =
| caption =
| developer = [[Intuit, Inc.]]
| released = {{start date and age|1984}}
| latest_release_version =
| latest_release_date =
| operating_system = [[Windows]], [[Macintosh]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[iOS]]
| genre = [[Tax software]]
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]]
}}
[[File:TurboTax headquarters.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Intuit Consumer Tax Group headquarters in [[San Diego]] (where TurboTax is developed)]]
'''TurboTax''' is a software package for preparation of American and Canadian [[Tax return (United States)|income tax returns]], produced by [[Intuit]]. TurboTax is a [[market leader]] in its product segment, competing with [[H&R Block Tax Software]] and [[TaxAct]].<ref name=NYTPaces>{{cite news |first = Tim |last = Gray |date = February 11, 2012 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/business/yourtaxes/tax-software-is-put-through-the-paces-review.html?_r=0%2F |title = Taking Tax Software for a Walk |work = The New York Times |access-date = February 28, 2017 |archive-date = March 22, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220322101007/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/business/yourtaxes/tax-software-is-put-through-the-paces-review.html?_r=0%2F |url-status = live }}</ref> TurboTax was developed by Michael A. Chipman of Chipsoft in 1984 and was sold to [[Intuit]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://people.forbes.com/profile/michael-a-chipman/12618 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090516184756/http://people.forbes.com/profile/michael-a-chipman/12618 |archive-date = May 16, 2009 |title = Michael Chipman |department = People |work = Forbes |date = April 18, 2012 |access-date = December 12, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-09-02-fi-30906-story.html |title = Intuit, Chipsoft Agree to Merge in $225-Million Deal |last = Groves |first = Martha |date = September 2, 1993 |website = Los Angeles Times |access-date = December 29, 2016 |archive-date = December 30, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161230155850/http://articles.latimes.com/1993-09-02/business/fi-30906_1_intuit-stock |url-status = live }}</ref>

The company has been subject of controversy over its political influence and deceptive business practices. Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, has engaged in a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign against the [[Internal Revenue Service]] (IRS) creating its own online system of tax filing like those that exist in most other wealthy countries.<ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.propublica.org/article/congress-is-about-to-ban-the-government-from-offering-free-online-tax-filing-thank-turbotax |title = Congress Is About to Ban the Government From Offering Free Online Tax Filing. Thank TurboTax. |last = Elliott |first = Justin |date = April 9, 2019 |website = ProPublica |language = en |access-date = April 9, 2019 |archive-date = April 9, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190409110506/https://www.propublica.org/article/congress-is-about-to-ban-the-government-from-offering-free-online-tax-filing-thank-turbotax |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-maker-of-turbotax-fought-free-simple-tax-filing |title = How the Maker of TurboTax Fought Free, Simple Tax Filing |last = Day |first = Liz |date = March 26, 2013 |website = ProPublica |language = en |access-date = April 9, 2019 |archive-date = April 9, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190409185239/https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-maker-of-turbotax-fought-free-simple-tax-filing |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free|title=Inside TurboTax's 20-Year Fight to Stop Americans From Filing Their Taxes for Free|last=Justin Elliott|first=Paul Kiel|date=2019-10-17|website=ProPublica|language=en|access-date=2019-10-17|archive-date=October 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017123005/https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-20 |title=IRS moves forward with a new free-file tax return system, supporters and critics mobilize |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/irs-moves-forward-with-a-new-free-file-tax-return-system-that-has-both-supporters-and-critics-mobilizing |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}</ref> Intuit is under investigation by multiple state attorneys general, as well as [[New York State Department of Financial Services]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elliott |first=Justin |date=2019-05-10 |title=New York Regulator Launches Investigation Into TurboTax Maker Intuit and H&R Block |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-maker-intuit-h-r-block-new-york-regulator-launches-investigation |access-date=2019-05-23 |website=ProPublica |language=en |archive-date=May 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523134215/https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-maker-intuit-h-r-block-new-york-regulator-launches-investigation |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Elliott |first=Justin |date=2019-12-19 |title=TurboTax Tricked Customers Into Paying to File Taxes. Now Several States Are Investigating It. |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-tricked-customers-into-paying-to-file-taxes-now-several-states-are-investigating-it |access-date=2019-12-30 |website=ProPublica |language=en |archive-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230041256/https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-tricked-customers-into-paying-to-file-taxes-now-several-states-are-investigating-it |url-status=live }}</ref>

As part of an agreement with the IRS [[Free File]] program, TurboTax allowed individuals making less than $39,000 a year to use a free version of TurboTax; a 2019 [[ProPublica]] investigation revealed that TurboTax deliberately made this version hard to find, even through search engines, and that it deceptively steered individuals who search for the free version to TurboTax versions that cost money to use.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-just-tricked-you-into-paying-to-file-your-taxes|title=Here's How TurboTax Just Tricked You Into Paying to File Your Taxes|last=Justin Elliott|first=Lucas Waldron|date=2019-04-22|website=ProPublica|language=en|access-date=2019-04-22|archive-date=December 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203182130/https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-just-tricked-you-into-paying-to-file-your-taxes|url-status=live}}</ref> TurboTax has tricked military service members to pay to use the filing software by creating and promoting a "military discount" and by making the free version hard to find when many service members are in fact eligible to use the software for free.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-military-discount-trick-troops-paying-to-file-taxes|title=TurboTax Uses A "Military Discount" to Trick Troops Into Paying to File Their Taxes|last=Justin Elliott|first=Kengo Tsutsumi|date=2019-05-23|website=ProPublica|language=en|access-date=2019-05-23|archive-date=May 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523133617/https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-military-discount-trick-troops-paying-to-file-taxes|url-status=live}}</ref>