Turbo Tax Television Ads Will Continue

Turbo Tax Television Ads Will Continue

H&R Block has failed its lawsuit and injunction attempts two times against Intuit’s TurboTax. H&R Block was attempting to stop their television ads from airing. The initial lawsuit was filed in January, 2013 on the grounds of an infringement on the company’s trademark. H&R Block stated that Intuit’s TurboTax commercials showing people having their taxes prepared by inexperienced tax preparers was directed at the company.

H&R Block, Miles City
H&R Block, Miles City (Photo credit: dave_mcmt)

H&R Block is trying to stop Intuit from airing two ads. The first is a scene of a shopper checking out in a women’s clothing store and the sales clerk remembers that she did the customer’s tax return the previous week. The second commercial shows a plumber that is fixing a kitchen sink and he announces to the family that he did their taxes.

First Lawsuit Lost

The U.S. District Court for Missouri ruled against H&R Block’s first lawsuit filed in January, 2013. H&R Block is headquartered in Kansas, Missouri. This in essence meant that Intuit could continue to run its ads and to promote its services such as Turbo Tax 2013 free, and the benefits of using the online software for free tax preparation.

Preliminary Injunction Denied

H&R Block attempted a preliminary injunction to cease the TV ads in March, 2013, but once again, the U.S. District Court rejected the request.

The television ads do not mention H&R Block by name and Intuit has made it clear that the advertisements were to educate the public on tax preparation. Many people have no clue when it comes to taxes and depend on a professional software application such as Turbo Tax 2013 free or a professional tax preparer. H&R block is continuing its lawsuit against Intuit, a spokesperson for the company confirmed.

Why H&R Block is Concerned

Intuit notes in the ads the lack of experience needed in retail tax stores. Intuit stated they only hire CPAs, tax attorneys, and Enrolled Agents to offer advise to customers about tax questions. With both attempts by H&R Block to stop the commercial ads, it’s clear that the U.S. District Court does not see this as an infringement on the company’s trademark, which was the grounds for the original lawsuit.

Intuit and Television Ads

Intuit has said they will continue to run the two ads despite the H&R Block’s determination to keep the lawsuit going. The TurboTax software can be accessed on a secure website and offers free tax preparation in an intuitive and user friendly application. The programs walks the filer through the process by asking question. It sometimes will recommend a different filing especially for the self-employed.

What Do The IRS And Your Ex-Girlfriend Have In Common?

You Don’t Want To Hear From Either One Of Them

What does getting an email from the IRS and getting an email from your crazy ex-girlfriend have in common? They are both something that you don’t want to open. The best advice is, don’t. If you get one of the IRS emails, it is best to not open it, or even altogether ignore it. We all know that the IRS is anything but a friend of yours, so why would they be sending you an email? They probably wouldn’t. It is just one of the latest scams that impostors are trying to pull off.

Exterior of the Internal Revenue Service offic...
Exterior of the Internal Revenue Service office in midtown New York. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Scammers know that when you see the IRS come up on any document, your first reaction is fear, and the second is that you had better answer it quickly to avoid penalty. When you use Turbo Tax 2013, you will have direct access to the IRS email, but they will never have a reason to reply unless it is an auto response. As a general rule, if you ever receive an email from any company asking you for personal information, don’t answer it. Any doubts you have about its authenticity, which there should be many, can be addressed by contacting them directly. If you are the one to contact them using official channels, than you can feel secure about any information that you supply to them.

It is best, if you receive IRS emails, to pick up the phone and contact them directly. After all, nothing ever gets settled through email, you will have to follow up any issue with a live representative anyway. So, it’s best to do with that email what you would with your ex-girlfriend’s, ignore it.

Free Tax Filing for Taxes

Tax Filing for 2011

Each year, thousands of taxpayers fail to file their federal income taxes. Some individuals willingly forgo this action while others run into special circumstances. No event or situation frees a taxpayer from their responsibilities though. With that in mind, a person can always file back taxes in order to start catching up. Various options are currently available for taxes 2011.

Tax Preparation
Tax Preparation (Photo credit: agrilifetoday)

Filing tax returns for previous years often proves relatively simple. However, an individual needs the right software and extensive records for that particular year. Products like TurboTax, TaxAct, and others offer software for past returns. Free tax filing 2011 is hard to come by but is not impossible to find. Undoubtedly, taxpayers want to save as much money as possible.

For taxes 2011, the taxpayer needs to fill out all necessary tax return forms. They should treat this return just like any other one, making sure to avoid common mistakes. Failure to do so might cause problems when the IRS receives the return. Without a doubt, it is important to handle this matter quickly to avoid major consequences and problems.

Free tax filing 2011 is still available even though it is a past tax year. Many people fail to realize that they can still finish taxes 2011. The longer an individual waits, the more penalties they will face. In the end, finishing this task quickly produces the best results under all circumstances. That fact should not be forgotten for obvious reasons. The IRS takes federal income taxes very seriously after all.

Taxes Can Be Simple With TurboTax

TurboTax 2011

Using Turbotax 2011 would be the best way to handle the filing of your taxes regardless of your financial situation. There are many people that make the mistake of putting off their taxes until the last minute. However, doing so would only delay the return of the money that belongs to you. Additionally, it is possible that you would be subjected to late fees for missing the deadline. It is important that you turn in your taxes as soon as possible in order to limit the financial stress that you face during this season. Instead of waiting until the deadline is approaching, you want to look for solutions that can help you to rid your life of this problem during this tax year. When you have the ability to use this great software, you will find that it takes much less time to enter all of your information and get it submitted.

Typically, people worry about the amount of time that is needed to get their taxes submitted. However, TaxAct is a streamlined approach to filing taxes because it is designed for anyone to use. As a result, you do not need to be a tax professional in order to complete your taxes with this software. In fact, most people that use TaxAct know very little about the specifics of tax law. Since this software is designed to remove all of the hard work, all that you need to do is enter some financial information. When you choose TaxAct this tax season, you will be able to enjoy a larger savings than any other option on the market today. Try the best and you will notice the savings in your pocket.

Strange Federal Tax Deductions

2011 Federal Tax Deductions

Everyone is looking for deductions for their 2011 federal tax situation.  We’ve all heard of the mortgage deduction, the medical deduction, and even deductions for owning an electric car–but are those all the deductions you can find?  It’s important to know all the deductions, so you can maximize your own personal benefits this tax season.  There are many “unique” deductions that are perfectly legitimate that most individuals probably are not even aware exist.  These deductions have been used in the past and are still on the books. Perhaps they might even help you this tax season. Take a look at this list of the top ten strange and weird deductions.

10 Strange But Legitimate Federal Tax Deductions
Efile Online with TurboTax

Federal Tax Filing

2011 Federal Tax Filing

If you think 2011 federal tax filing is confusing, maybe this will help you. Below are some things that you will need to know for the tax season.

You should know that you may be able to file your federal tax return without any cost to you through the IRS Free File program. This program is designed to try to get taxpayers to file electronically. It is open to those that ma

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 10: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (C) greets job seeker U.S. Army veteran Rodney Buckingham (2ndR) at the Internal Revenue Service booth as he attends Honor A Hero, Hire A Vet job fair on November 10, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. Schwarzenegger launched the ‘Honor a Hero, Hire a Vet’ intiative in 2006, and there have been 47 job fairs since its inception. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

de $57,000 or less. There are about 15 preparation companies in the program, and all of them have different criteria for eligibility that are usually based on income, age, military status, or state residency. Once you have finished doing your taxes on the Free File program, you can e-file your tax return for free.

You should also know that members of the military, senior citizens, and low income taxpayers may be able to file their taxes for free. Volunteers will help them with assistance and help them file electronically.

One other thing you should know is that new IRS regulations are making all tax preparers have a tax identification number. Tax preparers must use that pin number when they sign taxpayers returns. It your tax preparer does not have one; you need to find another preparer.

Above all, if you are going to file your taxes make sure you have all the necessary documents you need to file correctly.