TurboTax
MEDIA CAMPAIGN: Tax misconceptions
Let’s face it, filing taxes isn’t much fun for most people. However, when we took a closer look, we found that common misconceptions among Americans is making the process even more taxing than it needs to be.
Tackling tax misconceptions
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The goal
Ahead of the 2025 tax season, we partnered with TurboTax and Hunter PR on a research-led campaign. Together we wanted to assess Americans' general understanding of tax filing and identify areas where there are knowledge gaps.
We conducted a Talker Research survey of 4,000 Americans who planned to file taxes in 2025. The online survey panel was split evenly by generation and gender, which enabled us to compare the behaviors and attitudes of different age groups.
The results of the survey would be used to gain timely insights into Americans’ views and approaches to tax filing, while providing credible data for a topical news story for distribution in the first quarter of the year.
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The findings
The research results made it clear that Americans know little about taxes! And no age group was spared - there were concerning stats across all generations.
Nearly one in five Gen Zers believed that you can write anything off as a business expense when filing your taxes. They also believed that students don’t need to file taxes (20%) and that if you’re paid in cash, you aren’t required to pay taxes (13%).
Baby boomers, on the other hand, were even more likely to believe that you don’t need to file taxes and you can’t get a refund if you make under the IRS income requirements (27%).
A quarter of millennials and Gen X even believed that immigrants don’t pay taxes.
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The campaign
Our editorial team crafted and distributed a ready-to-use news story, supported by robust research. We also released a Spanish version of the story along with visual assets to bring the findings to life.
The depth of the data provided the media with a number of angles to draw from, resulting in a wide range of headlines and articles referencing the research and TurboTax.
The data-backed story earned 230 pieces of coverage, 18 broadcast mentions and over 150 backlinks from online sites. See some of the highlights below…
Content that cuts through
Coverage highlights
We write people stories, not product promos. News copy, not press releases. Our news team craft headline-grabbing stories that earn extensive media coverage — results guaranteed.
Campaign numbers
Visual assets
See more of our client coverage here.