It's only January, but things have already gotten heated.
H&R Block CEO Bill Cobb is not happy about what TurboTax is doing with its early ads. He sent an email to his employees that rips his rival, calling its commercials "outrageous."
The internal email, which was acquired by Michael Sebastian at PR Daily, accuses TurboTax of using "misleading data and statements."
Cobb also noted that legal action is being considered and that "appropriate action will be taken quickly."
He promised to fight back — from the email:
We have a strong brand built on integrity and professionalism and anchored by our tax professionals. We are going to defend our tax professionals and our brand against this attack – and we will do it quickly, directly and aggressively.
New H&R Block TV commercials to fight this challenge are in development and will augment our current marketing campaign that is all about the tax pro. Legal considerations are being assessed and appropriate action will be taken quickly. And we will develop a way for each of you to have your voice heard in support of yourself and all our tax professionals – stay tuned for more specifics this week.
The season begins next January 30, and we are focused on executing our plan. Don’t let these commercials be a distraction – we’ve got this covered.
And here are the ads that Cobb's so mad about: