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With about six weeks until the April 15 tax deadline, some filers are turning to artificial intelligence chatbots for help with their tax returns. But tax experts urge filers to be careful.
“Grok will help you with your taxes,” Elon Musk said in an X post on Tuesday. Developed by Musk’s startup xAI, Grok is a generative AI chatbot that integrates with X.
Musk’s message cited another X post by xAI’s James Burnham, who mentioned someone who said he used Grok to double-check his tax returns and received a larger refund.
“Disclaimer: This/Grok does not constitute tax advice, so please do your own research,” wrote Burnham, general counsel for xAI and X.
But finding a larger refund doesn’t necessarily mean your return is correct, according to Tom Oseven, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals.
You should always review previous years’ returns to understand why your refund or outstanding balance may vary from year to year, Oseven says. He is also a registered agent, which is a tax license to practice with the IRS.
This season, filers have multiple AI options to help with their taxes, including tools like Grok, ChatGPT, Claude, and chatbots integrated into popular tax preparation software platforms.
But due to the 2025 reforms enacted by President Donald Trump’s “Big and Beautiful Act,” taxes could be more complicated this season, and some consumers are hesitant about using AI when filing their taxes.
A study by software platform Invoice Home found that in 2026, just 37% of filers would consider trusting AI over a tax professional, compared to 43% in 2025. The company conducted a survey of approximately 2,000 filers in January.
What you need to know before using AI to pay your taxes
As tax laws change, it may be difficult to rely solely on AI for more complex issues, tax experts say.
“Each area has its nuances,” said Michael Deering, a certified public accountant and partner and tax services leader at accounting firm Morley & Schoenfeld.
For example, President Trump’s new tax cuts are being phased out, meaning benefits could be reduced or eliminated based on income.
Additionally, Deering said it can be difficult for AI to interpret how each tax break may affect different parts of the tax return.
Some tax professionals are concerned about data privacy.
Mr. Oseven is a member of the National Association of Tax Professionals and uses AI to improve the efficiency of his tax practice. But he said he recommends using the software only for general queries, without entering personal data such as Social Security numbers or other sensitive information.
Whether you use AI or not, it’s important that your returns are accurate.
“You are ultimately responsible for everything on that return and you sign at the bottom of the statement saying it is correct to the best of your knowledge,” he said.
CNBC’s Ryan Ermey contributed reporting to this story.
