What is it like to use AI to file your income tax return? Bengaluru professional says it felt ‘like a CA sitting next to me’

Tax filing has always carried a certain rhythm. Collect documents, verify Form 16, match entries with income records, and move through the income tax portal step by step, often with more patience than ease. For many salaried professionals, it is a familiar annual exercise that rarely feels simple. But this year, the conversation around filing income tax returns has taken an unexpected turn online. Across LinkedIn and Reddit, professionals are discussing the use of artificial intelligence tools in the tax filing process. Not as a novelty, but as practical assistants that help read documents, organize information, and guide users through filing workflows. A Bengaluru professional’s experience draws attention One of the most widely discussed cases comes from Bengaluru-based information security specialist Uddeshya Kumar. He shared that he used Anthropic’s Claude desktop application while filing his income tax return. According to him, the AI system assisted at multiple stages, including reviewing Form 16, comparing details with the Annual Information Statement (AIS), identifying discrepancies, managing complications arising from a mid-year job change, and even handling login interruptions and session timeouts on the income tax portal. Describing the experience, he said: “The whole thing ran like a CA sitting next to me.” He further added: “We are genuinely at a point where AI can navigate government portals, read tax documents, spot errors, and file on your behalf.” Kumar also shared the prompt he used, outlining step-by-step instructions for document verification, tax calculations, and handling interruptions on the portal. Privacy concerns enter the debate As the post circulated, questions around data privacy and security became a central point of discussion. Some users raised concerns about the implications of sharing sensitive financial information with AI platforms. Responding to these concerns, Kumar defended his approach by comparing it with commonly followed practices in tax filing workflows: “Fair question, but consider what most people actually do: Share PAN + Form 16 on WhatsApp with their CA, upload salary slips to ClearTax/TaxBuddy/Quicko, give login credentials to a CA portal they’ve never audited. I did none of that. Claude ran inside my own browser. I was in control the entire time – I reviewed the tax summary before anything was submitted. ” He also clarified the operational nature of the process: “Also, this workflow was running completely with Human In Loop.” Accuracy and accountability under scrutiny Beyond privacy, the conversation also turned to accuracy and responsibility in financial filings. While many users acknowledged that AI tools can simplify processes and improve understanding, there was also caution about relying on them without verification. One user commented: “AI is a great tool for reference and accelerating research, but the accuracy... can sometimes be questionable. Any content generated by AI should be reviewed and validated by a qualified professional before final submission. Blindly trusting LLM-generated output can lead to errors or incorrect conclusions.” A learning-oriented use case from an NRI professional The discussion also included a different perspective focused on understanding rather than automation. Amazon senior executive Akhil Sood shared his experience of using an AI assistant while filing his income tax return as a non-resident Indian. “As an NRI, tax filing has always felt more complicated than it should be. In the past, I would spend time searching for a CA, coordinating documents, waiting for responses, and trying to understand terminology that wasn’t always familiar.” He said the AI assistant helped him understand tax terminology, explain filing requirements, identify issues on the income tax portal, and suggest ways to raise grievances when needed.