FTC sues H&R Block over deceptive 'free' online filing ads

The report details the U.S. FTC’s lawsuit against H&R Block, alleging deceptive “free” tax filing marketing and product design that nudges users into paid tiers, obscures what qualifies as a “simple return,” and makes downgrading difficult—often causing loss of entered data and prompting users to pay more or abandon filings. It cites shifting definitions of “simple return,” barriers to downgrading since at least 2014, and parallels to recent FTC actions against Intuit, while also including an unrelated IAM guide promotion.