Update: Intuit Responds to Controversial Tax Ad Following NATP Feedback

Following backlash from the tax profession over its “Tax Breakup” television commercial featuring Adam DeVine, Intuit is responding to concerns raised by the National Association of Tax Preparers (NATP). Earlier this week, NATP sent a follow-up email to its members, updating its position on the controversial campaign.

According to the email, NATP voiced concerns that the ad encouraged taxpayers to abandon their current tax preparers in favor of TurboTax experts. After ongoing dialogue, Intuit has issued a response to address these concerns. 

The original story detailing the controversy can be found here.

Intuit ends the 'Tax Breakup' campaign

As noted in NATP’s email to its members, Intuit will discontinue airing the controversial “Tax Breakup” ad by the end of October. Rick Heineman, Intuit’s Chief Communications Officer, stated:

“We are evolving the campaign to ensure that promotion of the benefits of assisted tax preparation are clear so that specific ‘Tax Breakup’ creative will no longer air after the end of October.”

Intuit will continue promoting the value of working with tax professionals, but the messaging will shift to better emphasize the benefits of assisted tax preparation, making it clear that professional tax preparers offer substantial value to filers.

The road ahead for Intuit and the tax profession

Intuit’s response to NATP’s feedback is a step in the right direction, but it also underscores the delicate balance required when a technology provider offers direct services that could be seen as competing with the professionals who have supported their growth. The accounting community will be closely watching to see how Intuit follows through on its promise to evolve the ad campaign and whether future marketing efforts better reflect the importance of their partnerships with tax professionals.

With Intuit Connect, the company’s annual conference for accounting professionals, just around the corner, it will be interesting to see how this controversy affects the tone of the event. The company has an opportunity to directly address these concerns and reaffirm its commitment to maintaining strong relationships with tax professionals.

NATP’s willingness to engage in dialogue shows a path forward for accounting professionals to advocate for themselves in the face of industry changes. Whether other associations will follow suit remains to be seen, but for now, the tax profession has demonstrated its collective strength in holding Intuit accountable.

For more details on the initial controversy and the reactions from NATP, read our earlier coverage here.