Perplexity Launches AI Agent That Drafts Tax Returns | PYMNTS.com

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Perplexity Launches AI Agent That Drafts Tax Returns | PYMNTS.com

By PYMNTS
Publication Date: 2026-04-06 22:20:00

Every spring, millions of Americans sit down to do their taxes with a pile of forms, a browser full of tabs and a sense that they are probably doing something wrong. Tax software helps. So does a CPA. But both cost money, take time and still leave most people uncertain whether they got it right.

Perplexity is trying to change that with Computer for Taxes, extending its artificial intelligence (AI) agent platform into U.S. federal tax preparation for the 2026 filing season. Computer does not answer tax questions in a chat window. Instead, it reviews uploaded financial documents, asks follow-up questions about a filer’s situation and maps inputs to official IRS forms and drafts a federal return, according to the company’s  Thursday (April 2) announcement.

Users can access it by selecting “Navigate my taxes” inside Perplexity Computer, which requires a Pro subscription at $17 per month.

From Chat to Execution

The distinction between Computer and general-purpose AI chatbots is structural. Tools like ChatGPT or Gemini respond to tax questions based on training data that has a fixed cutoff date and no direct connection to current IRS materials.

A test of four major AI chatbots conducted by TaxSlayer and reported by The New York Times found the tools miscalculated the refund or amount owed by an average of more than $2,000 across eight fictional tax scenarios, even when provided with all necessary forms.

Perplexity addresses this by packaging tax knowledge as loadable…

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