Elon Musk Pushes Grok For Taxes — Experts Warn It Could Backfire On Users

Caroline LubinskyWed, March 11, 2026 at 2:01 AM UTC

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With about six weeks until the April 15 tax deadline, some Americans are turning to artificial intelligence chatbots for help with their tax returns. But tax professionals say that trend could come with some real risks.

The conversation picked up this week after Elon Musk suggested that his AI tool could help.

In a post on X, Musk said Grok can help with taxes, referencing another post from xAI and X General Counsel James Burnham describing a user who used Grok to double-check a tax return and ended up with a bigger refund. Burnham also noted that Grok should not be treated as tax advice and that users should confirm results themselves.

The exchange reflects a growing trend this tax season. In addition to Grok, some filers are experimenting with tools like Open AI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude, along with AI assistants built into popular tax preparation software.

AI is already spreading through the tax industry

Artificial intelligence is not just being used by consumers. It is already showing up inside tax and accounting firms as well.

According to the 2026 AI in Professional Services Report from the Thomson Reuters Institute, 34% of tax firms are already using generative AI in their work, and another 47% say they are either planning to adopt or actively considering the technology.

Many of these tools help professionals search tax law faster, summarize complicated guidance, review documents, and draft memos or client communications. Some platforms can even analyze tax returns and flag possible issues.

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But even professional-grade tools still require human oversight. AI can help get to an answer faster, but it cannot replace the judgment needed to interpret tax rules or apply them to someone's specific situation.

A bigger refund doesn't always mean it's right

Tax professionals say that is something individual filers should keep in mind, Reuters reports.

Getting a bigger refund from an AI-generated calculation does not necessarily mean the return is correct. Sometimes it just means the software applied a rule incorrectly or missed an important detail.

Professionals often compare current filings with prior returns to understand why a refund or balance due has changed. Without that broader context, an AI chatbot may miss key factors that affect the outcome.

This year's tax rules are more complicated

The stakes may be higher this season because the tax code has changed.

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Several updates were introduced through President Donald Trump's 2025 tax legislation, also known as The Big Beautiful Bill Act The new provisions include tax breaks with income phase-outs that gradually reduce the benefit for higher earners.

Those phase-outs can make returns more complicated, especially when multiple credits and deductions interact. Applying those rules correctly often requires looking at a taxpayer's full financial picture.

That kind of nuance can be difficult for an AI system to handle consistently.

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There are also privacy concerns

Another issue is the personal data people might share with these tools.

Tax returns contain sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, income records, and financial details. Reuters reports that entering that information into a chatbot could raise privacy concerns depending on how the platform stores or processes the data.

For that reason, some professionals suggest using AI tools only for general tax questions instead of uploading personal financial information.

Many filers are still skeptical

For now, many taxpayers remain cautious about relying on AI.

In 2026 only 37% of filers said they would consider trusting AI over a tax professional, according to a January survey of about 2,000 taxpayers conducted by software platform Invoice Home. That number was 43% in 2025.

Even as AI tools become more common, experts say they should be viewed as assistants rather than decision-makers.

At the end of the day, the responsibility still sits with the taxpayer. When you file your return, you sign a statement confirming that the information is accurate to the best of your knowledge, no matter who or what helped prepare it.

Image: Shutterstock

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