What changedMaterial language shifts detected around personal data, privacy, share your, artificial intelligence. 283 new line(s), 235 removed line(s).
Snapshot of the source text at fetch time, not a live mirror of the policy page.
Plain-English summary
Exercising privacy rights may lead to account termination or inability to use services. After e-filing, tax return information cannot be updated unless rejected by the IRS or amended. Deleting your account will result in the loss of access to all associated information. Your data may be collected from public and third-party sources for marketing, and interactions with support teams might be recorded. Personal information, especially for Professional Services, can be shared with affiliates for marketing. Third-party ad companies track online activity for targeted advertising. Geolocation data is collected for analytics and marketing, and sensitive information like Social Security Numbers may be shared with LexisNexis for identity verification. The interactive chatbot does not guarantee accuracy, and AI-powered tools are used to analyze user behavior for insights and recommendations. The company cannot guarantee the security of internet transmissions.
85% confidence
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Follow up on findings with grounded answers from this review. Not legal advice.
Risk Flags
1 finding
These are high-severity concerns that could lead to material, hard-to-reverse harm. They might include significant financial losses, permanent privacy exposure, or severely weakened user rights.
high95% confidence
Account Termination or Inability to Use Services for Exercising Privacy Choices
If you do not wish for your personal information to be collected and/or used, or if you request its deletion, this may lead to the termination of your user account or your inability to use the services.
Why it matters: Exercising your privacy rights, such as opting out of data collection or requesting data deletion, may result in the termination of your account or render the services unusable.
If you do not wish for us to collect and/or use your personal information or request to delete such information, this may result in a termination of your user account or your inability to use the Services.
These concerns highlight how your data is collected, used, and shared. This section also covers issues around data retention and anonymization practices.
medium85% confidence
Personal Information Collected from Publicly Available Sources and Third Parties for Marketing Optimization
In addition to information you provide, the company may collect information from publicly available sources, affiliated companies, or third parties, such as when partnering with other companies or using service providers to help optimize marketing activities.
Why it matters: Your personal information may be gathered from public sources and third parties to improve marketing, meaning the company might have data about you that you did not directly provide.
In addition to the information you provide, we may also collect information from publicly available sources, affiliated companies, or third parties, such as when we partner with other companies or use service providers to help us optimize our marketing activities.
Spouse and dependent information;, paragraph 8 · Citation strength: strong
medium85% confidence
Recording of Support Interactions
The company may record interactions with its support service team after notifying you that a recording will be made.
Why it matters: Your conversations with the support team may be recorded, which means your personal information shared during those interactions could be stored and potentially analyzed.
In some cases, we record your interactions with our support service team upon notifying you that a recording will be made.
Spouse and dependent information;, paragraph 5 · Citation strength: strong
medium85% confidence
Geolocation Data Collection for Analytics, Marketing, and Access
Geolocation data, including information derived from your IP address and collected from the Services, may be collected for analytics, marketing, and access purposes.
Why it matters: Your location information may be collected and used for analytics and marketing, which could lead to location-based advertisements or analysis of your movement patterns.
We may collect geolocation data, including information derived from your IP address and collected from our Services, for analytics, marketing, and access purposes.
Sharing Personal Information with LexisNexis for Identity Verification
When you request account recovery services, your personal information, including name, address, email, IP address, and Social Security Number, is disclosed to LexisNexis to verify your identity.
Why it matters: To recover your account, sensitive personal information, including your Social Security Number, will be shared with LexisNexis, raising privacy considerations about the handling of such data by a third party.
If you request certain account recovery services, we disclose your personal information to external parties, including LexisNexis, so we can verify your identity. The personal information we disclose includes name, address, email, IP address, and Social Security Number.
Terms of Service, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
medium85% confidence
Retention of Archived Account Information After Deletion
If you delete your account, the company retains your account information in its archives, even though it is no longer accessible online. Additionally, all printed or e-filed returns and related information are retained as necessary to comply with legal and contractual obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements.
Why it matters: Even after you delete your account, the company keeps your account information and tax returns in its archives, meaning your data is not fully erased and remains accessible to them for various business and legal reasons.
If you choose to delete your account, we retain your account information in our archives even though it is no longer accessible online. We also retain all printed or e-filed returns and related information as necessary to comply with our legal and contractual obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
Deletion of Your Account, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
Cancellation and Renewal
All clear
These concerns cover issues related to subscription models, automatic renewals, and the process of canceling services.
✓
Looking good
No billing surprises spotted
Verbaterm only flags concerns it can cite. No cancellation, auto-renewal, or refund terms needed attention here.
Gotchas
3 findings
These are common gotchas or 'dark patterns' that might be less severe than risk flags but could still be annoying, inconvenient, or misleading. They often involve one-sided terms or unexpected conditions.
low85% confidence
Data Transfer and Storage Outside Your Country
Personal information collected about you may be stored, transferred, processed, and/or accessed by the company or its vendors in the United States or other countries, where privacy laws may differ and not be as protective as those where you live. By allowing collection of your personal information, you consent to this transfer, processing, and storage in the United States.
Why it matters: Your personal data may be stored and processed in the United States or other countries with potentially different or less protective privacy laws than your home country, meaning your data might be subject to different legal standards.
Please know that personal information may be transferred to, and maintained on, computers not in the state or country where you live, meaning the privacy laws could differ from and may not be as protective as those where you live. If you are located outside the United States and allow us to collect personal information about you, please be aware that TaxAct may, where permitted by law, transfer your personal information to other countries, including the United States, and process and store it there. By allowing collection of your personal information, you consent to having your personal information transferred to, processed, and stored in the United States.
Data Storage and Transfer, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
medium85% confidence
Inaccurate or Incorrect Information from AI-Powered Tools
Information, prompts, output, or suggestions provided by AI-Powered Tools or any materials retrieved from them have not been reviewed for content or accuracy. These tools may provide inaccurate or incorrect information, so the accuracy and appropriateness of any solutions offered by AI should be confirmed before use.
Why it matters: Relying on information from AI-Powered Tools without verification could lead to incorrect tax filings or financial decisions, as the company states the output has not been reviewed for accuracy and may be inaccurate.
Please understand that information, prompts, output, or suggestions provided by these AI-Powered Tools or any materials retrieved therefrom, including from any third party, have not been reviewed for content or accuracy. AI-Powered Tools may provide inaccurate or incorrect information so the accuracy and appropriateness of any solutions offered by AI should be confirmed before use.
Terms of Service, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
low80% confidence
Use of AI-Powered Tools for Developing Insights and Marketing
AI-Powered Tools may be used to analyze how services are used and interacted with, or to process content customers send or display through services, including conducting data analytics to develop insights about user behavior, needs, and preferences to make more informed predictions and recommendations.
Why it matters: The company uses AI to analyze your usage patterns and content to develop insights and make predictions, potentially influencing the products or services you are shown.
We may use AI-Powered Tools to analyze how our Services are used and interacted with, or to process certain content our customers send or display through the Services, including by conducting data analytics to develop insights about your use of the Services, needs, and preferences, so we can make more informed predictions, recommendations, and improve our products and Services.
Data Storage and Transfer, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
Protections
3 findings
These are consumer-friendly commitments or features that enhance user privacy, control, or recourse. They help offset potential risks and demonstrate a commitment to user well-being.
Protection90% confidence
Opt-out for marketing emails
You can stop receiving promotional emails by following the unsubscribe instructions included in the emails you receive.
Why it helps: This provides a clear and direct method for users to control the marketing communications they receive, reducing unwanted emails.
You can stop receiving promotional emails by following the unsubscribe instructions in emails that you receive.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies, paragraph 5 · Citation strength: strong
Protection90% confidence
Opt-out for text message alerts
You can opt out of further text marketing communications by texting STOP to the SMS number used by the company to contact you.
Why it helps: This offers a straightforward way for users to discontinue receiving marketing text messages, giving them control over mobile communications.
You can opt out from further text marketing communications by texting STOP to the SMS number used by TaxAct to contact you.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies, paragraph 5 · Citation strength: strong
Protection95% confidence
No Marketing to Children Under 13
The Services are not marketed to children and are not intended for use by individuals under the age of 13. If personal information is received from a child under 13, it will be deleted in accordance with applicable law.
Why it helps: This commitment protects children's privacy by explicitly stating that services are not for them and that any collected data from under-13 individuals will be deleted.
We do not market our Services to children, and the Services are not intended for use by individuals under the age of 13. If we become aware that we have received any personal information from a child under 13, we will delete it in accordance with applicable law.