OpenAI said more Americans than ever are using ChatGPT to do their taxes — just don’t rely too heavily on the chatbot.
OpenAI shared some stats on Tuesday, a day before tax day, on how people are using its AI to figure out what they owe Uncle Sam. The company said in an X post that total tax-related searches on ChatGPT were up four times in quarter one of 2026 compared to a year prior.
On the graphic showing the breakdown of what taxpayers were asking ChatGPT, there was some tiny but telling fine print toward the bottom.
“ChatGPT is not intended to replace professional advice,” the graphic said.
Still, as the company broke down, people are using ChatGPT to answer a host of questions about their taxes.
OpenAI identified the three main themes for which users were turning to ChatGPT: a third of all tax-related queries were about earnings and withholding; over 30% were asking for help filing forms and using tax software; and around 10% were questions about investments and retirement reporting.
Surveys suggest more and more Americans are using AI for help with their taxes. Adobe surveyed 1,010 full-time employees about taxes and found that “surveyed US workers are 136% more likely to use AI for tax filing this year compared to last, with reported adoption jumping from 11% in 2024 to 26% for 2025 returns filed in 2026.”
While professional tax preparers like H&R Block and TurboTax have rolled out AI features, tax experts have warned that AI can make mistakes and that relying on it too heavily could cost you.
AI chatbots and agents still make a lot of mistakes, so when it comes to trusting them with something as complex as US tax law, proceed at your own risk.
