Thread by @propublica

1/ We reported that @turbotax is hiding its actual free version from Google. It doesn’t want you to see it. propub.li/2PvjMmp

So we figured: What if we did the opposite of @Intuit and *all* worked together to make the facts easy for everyone to find.

Ready? Here we go.

@turbotax @Intuit 2/ First, an admission: @ProPublica isn’t great at search engine optimization. (😞) So in order for people to find our coverage when they search, we need your help.

@turbotax @Intuit 3/ Do you have a website or blog? Linking to the information here could help more people find it in search: propublica.org/article/turbot…

If you’ve got a publication with strong SEO, we’d especially love you to point to the facts — at this link: propublica.org/article/turbot…

@turbotax @Intuit 4/ You’ll notice that we’ve put some simple answers to some very simple questions on that page. That’s because people are searching for those words.

5/ Next: You obviously use Twitter. This is a good time to tweet. If enough of you tweet “TurboTax,” we *could* even make it a trending term, which might show up in search results. Share what you’d like, but be sure to include this link and tag @TurboTax: propublica.org/article/turbot…

6/ Did you pay a fee you shouldn’t have had to? We’ve put out some advice about what to do if you’re going to try getting a refund. If you call @TurboTax, let others (and us) know what happened.

https://twitter.com/propublica/status/1121806909542150144

7/ Beyond all of this: The very best way to reach people is directly. If you know someone who might have paid more than they needed to, we hope you’ll send them an email or text.

8/ We’ve already heard from dozens of people who were charged by @TurboTax to do their taxes even though they were eligible to file for free. propub.li/2vonFR1

CC: $INTU execs @IntuitBrad @sasan_goodarzi

@turbotax @IntuitBrad @sasan_goodarzi 9/ What does @Intuit say about all of this? This.

10/ We’ve been covering this since 2013 and certainly don’t plan to stop. To keep up with us and avoid missing a new Free File story, please sign up for our newsletter. go.propublica.org/20190424

Do you have more ideas on getting the word out? We’d love to hear them.