As the April filing deadline nears, more taxpayers are experimenting with AI-driven tools to navigate their returns. While these chatbots promise convenience, tax professionals emphasize the need for scrutiny to ensure accuracy and compliance.
AI Chatbots in Tax Season
With about six weeks until the April 15 tax deadline, some filers are turning to artificial intelligence chatbots for help with returns. On Tuesday, Elon Musk said in an X post that “Grok can help with your taxes.” Developed by Musk’s startup xAI, Grok is a generative AI chatbot integrated into X to assist users with a range of queries.
Musk’s message referenced another X post from xAI general counsel James Burnham, which noted someone had used Grok to double-check tax returns and received a bigger refund. “Disclaimer: This/Grok is not tax advice so always confirm yourself too,” wrote Burnham.
Expert Warnings and Best Practices
Experts caution that discovering a larger refund via AI does not guarantee a correct return. Tom O’Saben, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals and an enrolled agent, recommends comparing recent filings to understand year-to-year changes in refunds or balances due.
Complex Legislation and AI Limits
Under President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” significant adjustments to credits and deductions came into effect for 2025 returns. According to certified public accountant Michael Deering, partner and tax services leader at Mowery and Schoenfeld, “Each of the areas have some nuance.”
For instance, many of the new tax breaks include phase-outs that reduce or eliminate benefits based on income. AI tools may struggle to fully interpret how these phase-outs interact across different sections of a return, Deering said.
Data privacy also factors into user decisions. A January survey of roughly 2,000 filers by software platform Invoice Home found that in 2026, only 37% said they would consider trusting AI over a tax professional, down from 43% in 2025. Many remain hesitant to use AI when filing returns.
Data Privacy and Personal Accountability
While some tax preparers leverage AI for efficiency, they advise against sharing sensitive information—such as Social Security numbers—with chatbots. O’Saben suggests using AI for general guidance and entering personal data directly into secure tax software.
Regardless of the method chosen, accuracy rests with the filer. “You’re ultimately responsible for all of the entries on that return, and you sign a statement at the bottom saying it’s correct to the best of your knowledge,” O’Saben said.
