Rushing to file your taxes? Don’t rely on AI for help, plus other last-minute tips | CNN Business

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story, which originally ran on April 8, has been updated. If you’re pulling up the rear when it comes to filing your income taxes, you now have less than 48 hours to get your return in – or file for an extension – by April 15 before 11:59:59 p.m. local time. You’re hardly alone in your dash to the deadline. As of April 3, the IRS had received 99.8 million returns – or about 40 million fewer than the total number that had been filed by last year’s mid-April due date. Here are some last-minute dos and don’ts to make sure you avoid hitting any snags along the way. The IRS and tax pros use AI. Tax prep software providers use AI. So, you wonder, “Why not me?” Several reasons, according to former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. Werfel, who oversaw the IRS’ early use of AI to improve taxpayer service and compliance, appreciates the tool’s promise in the tax arena. But he’s raising red flags for DIY taxpayers who plan to lean on - or have already relied on – free, general-use AI platforms to field personal tax questions and help prepare their returns. “Beware the generic solutions,” said Werfel, who is now a strategic advisory board membe

Apr 8, 2026 → Apr 25, 2026