Tag Archives: Enrolled Agents

IRS in the Crosshairs: a Discussion with the Acting Commissioner

By Claudia Hill, Contributor

While attending the IRS Nationwide Forum earlier today in Dallas, I had the opportunity to be part of a small group meeting with Principal Deputy Commissioner Daniel Werfel.  His goal with our session was to have a substantive dialog regarding IRS strategic issues, something that is difficult to engage in currently in the beltway.  The session included industry representatives from the practitioner community (Enrolled Agents, CPAs, Registered Tax Preparers, Certified Acceptance Agents, software providers, former IRS employees now working in the private sector).  The variety of niches represented and the volleying for why customer service should not be cut to each niche was enlightening.  As was Mr. Werfel’s awareness of the issues and limitations confronting each of the taxpayer constituencies represented. …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

H&R Block Continues Lawsuit Against Intuit Over Commercials

By Tim Brugger, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

The U.S. District Court of Western Missouri will not grant a preliminary injunction barring Intuit from continuing to run TurboTax commercials that H&R Block says misuse the H&R Block brand and unfairly disparage H&R Block tax professionals.

H&R Block announced the court’s decision this week.

H&R Block brought the suit against Intuit based on what it alleges is the “unlawful misuse of the H&R Block brand and trademark.” At issue is Intuit’s assertion that H&R Block employs individuals with little to no tax preparation experience.

H&R Block filed the lawsuit Jan. 23, alleging Intuit, the maker of TurboTax software, aired commercials that were, “based on a campaign that allegedly includes false and misleading advertising, unfair competition and infringement of its legally protected trademarks in TurboTax television commercials.”

In response to the court’s ruling, Dan Maurer, general manager and senior vice president of Intuit’s consumer tax group, was quoted by Intuit as saying, “For the second time, the court has rejected H&R Block’s attempts to pull advertisements that make clear to taxpayers that TurboTax hires only CPAs, Enrolled Agents and tax attorneys to assist Americans as they prepare their own tax returns.”

H&R Block says it will continue to pursue the lawsuit in court.

The article H&R Block Continues Lawsuit Against Intuit Over Commercials originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Tim Brugger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Intuit. The Motley Fool owns shares of Intuit. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Court Denies Second Attempt to Pull Intuit's TurboTax Ads

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Court Denies Second Attempt to Pull Intuit’s TurboTax Ads

SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Intuit Inc. (NAS: INTU) responded today to a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri denying, for the second time, H&R Block’s attempt to stop Intuit from continuing to air two television advertisements for TurboTax.

In denying H&R Block’s motion for a preliminary injunction, the court noted that although H&R Block makes “much of their training programs for tax preparers in their first year and beyond, training is not the same thing as experience.” The judge further stated that “it is not false or misleading…to draw consumers’ attention to the true statement that certain consumers who go to major tax stores could have their taxes prepared by someone who has no prior work experience preparing taxes.”

The court further recognized that the statement “More Americans trusted their federal taxes to TurboTax last year than H&R Block stores and all other major tax stores combined” is true.

The statement below can be attributed to Dan Maurer, general manager and senior vice president of Intuit’s Consumer Tax Group.

“Today’s ruling is a victory for hardworking taxpayers. For the second time, the court has rejected H&R Block’s attempts to pull advertisements that make clear to taxpayers that TurboTax hires only CPAs, Enrolled Agents and tax attorneys to assist Americans as they prepare their own tax returns. This stands in sharp contrast to the prior tax experience of some of those who major tax stores advertise for and hire.

“At TurboTax, we exist to help people keep more of their hard-earned money. We do that by combining the ease and convenience of preparing taxes anytime, anywhere, without an appointment, with help from only the most highly qualified and credentialed tax experts.

“We urge taxpayers to take a second and look at who is preparing their tax return at H&R Block. Not only does TurboTax save taxpayers on average $100 or more over H&R Block stores, we stand behind every return with our 100% Accurate Calculations Guarantee and our Maximum Refund Guarantee so customers can be confident they’ll get it right the first time.

“Our customers – nurses, teachers, firefighters, U.S. service men and women, people who work the night shift, people who work double shifts, more than 25 million Americans in all, tell us they choose to do their own taxes with TurboTax because they get their maximum refund possible and …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance