With tax season on the horizon, many are considering turning to technology for assistance. Among these tools are artificial intelligence chatbots, which some filers hope will simplify their tax return process by the upcoming April 15 deadline. However, tax professionals advise exercising caution when using these AI tools.
According to Elon Musk, the AI chatbot Grok, developed by Musk’s own company, xAI, might be helpful for tax purposes. Musk emphasized its utility in a recent post. James Burnham from xAI also highlighted a case where Grok was used to double-check tax returns, allegedly resulting in a larger refund. Despite this, he cautioned, “Disclaimer: This/Grok is not tax advice so always confirm yourself too,” stressing the importance of independent verification of tax returns.
Tom O’Saben, of the National Association of Tax Professionals, warns that discovering a potential refund does not ensure your return’s accuracy. He advises taxpayers to review their previous filings to understand any discrepancies in refunds or amounts owed. This practice is particularly important due to potential complexities introduced by recent legislative changes.
This tax season, several AI tools, like Grok, ChatGPT, and Claude, have emerged as options for taxpayers. These tools may be integrated into popular tax preparation software, yet they are not substitutes for professional oversight, especially with changes resulting from President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” of 2025.
Concerns about AI’s reliability persist. A scenario depicted in a survey by Invoice Home revealed a decline in trust towards AI for tax filing, dropping from 43% in 2025 to 37% in 2026. The hesitancy might stem from the potential nuances in tax laws that AI might struggle to interpret fully.
Michael Deering, a certified public accountant at Mowery and Schoenfeld, notes that the complexities of Trump’s new tax breaks—such as income-dependent phase-outs—can pose challenges for AI. Accurately understanding how these nuances affect various components of a tax return might require more than AI capabilities.
Moreover, tax professionals highlight privacy as a primary concern. O’Saben recommends using AI for general queries without inputting sensitive data, such as Social Security numbers, to maintain data privacy.
Ultimately, the responsibility for filing accurate tax returns rests with the filer, as O’Saben reminds, “You’re ultimately responsible for all of the entries on that return, and you sign a statement at the bottom” confirming its accuracy.
