TRUSTe-Certified Web Sites Help Protect the Privacy of Consumers Filing Online Tax Returns

San Francisco, CA– February 22, 2006 – With tax season underway, 18 of the leading tax-preparation and advice Web sites are helping safeguard consumers' critical financial information by upholding the strict standards of TRUSTe's Web Privacy Seal. TRUSTe's Web Privacy Seal certifies that companies avoid policies that could lead to privacy infringement and make accessible a privacy statement that details their privacy policies. The seal also requires companies to give consumers choice and consent over how their information is used and shared.

"TRUSTe is proud to be working with so many of the leading tax-preparation Web sites to provide the basic foundation of trust consumers require before conducting such sensitive transactions online," said Fran Maier, president and executive director of TRUSTe. "By adhering to TRUSTe's standards, companies such as H&R Block, Intuit and 2nd Story Software are ensuring the confidentiality of the personal information their customers will file online this tax season."

"2nd Story Software has worked diligently to develop and maintain online tax filing programs that taxpayers can use with the assurance that their privacy is protected," said Lance Dunn, President of 2nd Story Software, Inc. "TRUSTe's Web Privacy and Email Privacy Seals support our efforts to safeguard taxpayers' personal information filed online and helps build trust in our company."

The current list of TRUSTe-certified tax sites include the following:

2nd Story Software, Inc.
http://www.taxact.com, http://www.taxactonline.com

AJV Data Services
http://www.taxsimple.com

C&S Technologies, Inc.
http://www.esmarttax.com

EFile Tax Returns, Inc.
http://www.efiletaxreturns.net

Energy Matters, LLC
http://www.taxhead.com

ezTaxReturn.com, LLC
http://www.eztaxreturn.com

H&R Block Financial
http://www.hrblock.com

Intuit
http://www.Turbotax.com

Onlinetaxpros.com
http://www.onlinetaxpros.com

Petz Enterprises
http://www.TaxBrain.com

Smokey Software, Inc.
http://www.citizentax.com

Tax-Engine.com, Inc.
http://www.taxengine.com

TaxHawk, Inc.
http://www.freetaxusa.com, http://www.taxhawk.com, http://www.my1040ez.com

TaxNet, Inc.
http://www.taxnet.com

TaxResources, Inc.
http://www.taxaudit.com

About TRUSTe
TRUSTe, the independent trust authority, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enabling individuals and organizations to establish trusting relationships based on respect for personal identity and information in the evolving networked world.

Founded in 1997, TRUSTe runs the largest privacy seal program certifying more than 1,500 Web sites throughout the world with support from its sponsors, Microsoft, AOL, DoubleClick and Intuit. TRUSTe also provides standards, certification and oversight into email accreditation with its Email Privacy Seal and the Bonded Sender Program. For more information on TRUSTe please visit http://www.truste.org.

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Ponemon Institute