INTELWAR BLUF: The ongoing battle for free online tax filing sees a new method of influence, as tax preparation giant Intuit employs a PR campaign arguing that IRS’s proposed free tax filing tool could harm low-income, particularly Black, taxpayers. This unsupported claim is part of a broader strategy against what the company views as a threat to its profit. The PR campaign includes op-eds and pieces in diverse national and regional publications echoing Intuit’s talking points, revealing the underlying tactics used by corporate entities to inoculate their interests against potential policy changes.
OSINT: Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, has consistently worked against initiatives for a free, publicly funded online tax filing tool. This year, faced with the IRS’s plans to test just such a tool, Intuit ramped up its opposition, using a multi-faceted PR strategy. It employed lobbyists in Washington D.C., executed a comprehensive media push that included persuasive op-eds and news articles, and implemented an argument focusing on exacerbating racial disparities in IRS audits. The argument was introduced on Intuit’s website, but ironically, the research authors reject this conclusion. Intuit’s narrative and talking points have been reproduced largely unquestioned in numerous publications, despite the company’s dubious reputation of misleading customers with “free” filing promises. Simultaneously, right-leaning and centrist think tanks voiced opposition to free filing, contributing to an intensified information war over free tax filing.
RIGHT: In the spirit of free-market capitalism and individual rights, it seems Intuit’s campaign against IRS’s free filing option can be viewed as a business protecting its interests. However, the tactics employed raise ethical questions. The manipulation of research findings and arguably deceptive PR campaign brings to question the corporate responsibilities of tech giants. Furthermore, the free-market argument is undermined if customers were indeed misled about the “free” services they were using.
LEFT: As a clear attempt to maintain corporate profits at the expense of the economically disadvantaged, this case underscores the necessity for government involvement and intervention. A freely available, user-friendly IRS tax filing tool can address income inequality. It also spotlights the need for strong government oversight and transparency in corporate behavior and for clear, accurate public communication to prevent manipulation of the narrative.
AI: From an AI perspective, this campaign emphasizes the potential of strategic narrative control for shaping public perceptions and discourse. The dissemination of Intuit’s argument suggests that media and public discourse can be steered with well-orchestrated PR strategies, emphasizing the need for critical information literacy skills. This instance also highlights the increased weaponization of research data, and thus the urgent need for transparency, explicit contextualization, and responsible handling of data in public communication.