Starting Monday, checks will mailed out to Ohioans who were tricked into paying for free tax services, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
The checks are part of a $141 million multi-state settlement with Intuit, the owner of TurboTax. The settlement includes $5.3 million that will be sent out to 174,000 Ohioans. About 4.4 million victims have been identified nationwide.
Those who are eligible to receive settlement money will be contacted via email by Rust Consulting, the settlement fund administrator. All checks are expected to be sent out by the end of the month.
People who paid to file federal tax returns through TurboTax in 2016, 2017 and 2018 but were eligible for free services may be eligible. The settlement fund is based on the number of tax years they qualify for, with most people expected to received about $30.
“The checks are in the mail — or will be soon,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “I’m beyond thrilled that cheated Ohioans will see money go back into their pockets after Intuit’s shameless scheme.”
The lawsuit was prompted by a ProPublica report that claimed Intuit used deceptive practices to lead lower-income users toward paid tax service products instead of free, federally-supported products, according to the attorney general’s office.
For more information about the settlement and who is eligible for settlement funds, visit www.AGTurboTaxSettlement.com.
