Ontario Court Certifies Class Action Against Intuit Over TurboTax Pricing

On July 24, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice certified a consumer‑protection class action against Intuit Canada ULC and its U.S. parent, Intuit Inc. The lawsuit alleges that TurboTax was marketed as “free” or “free for simple tax returns” while users were required to pay after entering personal and financial information, a practice described as bait‑and‑switch and drip‑pricing. The plaintiff seeks damages for all Canadians who purchased TurboTax online software since January 1, 2015, and the court approved claims under Ontario’s consumer protection legislation, the federal Competition Act and an unjust‑enrichment theory, also allowing a common issue on aggregate damages.

Intuit has denied the allegations and indicated it will appeal the decision. The case was brought by a single consumer on behalf of the class, represented by the Toronto litigation firm Rochon Genova, and Justice Leiper noted the action is suitable for class proceedings. No damages have been quantified yet, and affected users are not required to take immediate action.