Nearly 16,000 Hawaiʻi taxpayers will be getting $30 checks in the mail soon — but it's not a tax refund.
It’s a payout from a multistate, multimillion dollar settlement with Intuit, the owner of TurboTax.
Intuit reached a $141 million settlement with state attorneys general last year. All 50 states and the District of Columbia signed onto the agreement.
Several states, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, sued the software company for deceiving millions of low-income U.S. taxpayers for paying for services that should have been free.
The state Office of Consumer Protection said up to 15,904 Hawaiʻi consumers will receive checks in the mail this month. Hawaiʻi will receive a total of $481,135.
“This settlement compensates Hawai‘i residents who were tricked into paying for tax preparation services that should have been free,” OCP Executive Director Mana Moriarty said in a statement. “This is a reminder that companies who mislead the public and engage in deceptive practices will be held accountable for their actions.”
Affected consumers do not need to file a claim and should automatically receive checks in the mail. Consumers who used TurboTax for tax years 2016, 2017 and 2018 are eligible.
More information can be found at AGTurboTaxSettlement.com.
