AI Chatbots Emerge as Tax Season Support, But Experts Urge Caution
As the April 15 tax deadline approaches, taxpayers are increasingly considering the use of artificial intelligence chatbots for assistance in filing their returns. However, tax professionals are advising caution. Elon Musk recently highlighted the capabilities of his AI tool, Grok, integrated with X, in a post on X, encouraging its use for tax support.
James Burnham from xAI, Musk’s startup, shared a post where a user reportedly used Grok to successfully double-check their tax return, resulting in a larger refund. Burnham, acting as general counsel, emphasized, “Disclaimer: This/Grok is not tax advice so always confirm yourself too.”
According to Tom O’Saben from the National Association of Tax Professionals, discovering extra refunds doesn’t confirm the accuracy of a return. He emphasizes the significance of reviewing past tax returns to understand discrepancies between refunds and balances. As an enrolled agent, O’Saben highlights the necessity for clarity on the reason behind variations.
This tax season offers several AI tools, including Grok, ChatGPT, and Claude, integrated into leading tax preparation software. However, the complexity of the current tax landscape, altered by President Donald Trump‘s tax reforms, adds a layer of difficulty. Some users, surveyed by Invoice Home, express hesitation regarding AI use for taxes, with only 37% in 2026 considering it over a professional, compared to 43% in 2025.
Michael Deering, a certified public accountant from Mowery and Schoenfeld, notes that tax laws contain “nuance,” making pure AI reliance challenging. Trump’s tax changes include phase-outs that modify benefits based on income, and AI may struggle to account for how different tax breaks interact.
Data privacy issues remain a concern among tax experts. O’Saben uses AI for general queries in his practices but urges avoiding personal data input, like Social Security numbers. He stresses the importance of return accuracy, highlighting, “You’re ultimately responsible for all of the entries on that return, and you sign a statement at the bottom” confirming its correctness.
CNBC’s Ryan Ermey contributed to the reporting for this story.
