Powered by browser automation and trained on real firm workflows, the Tax Prep Agent reads workpapers, opens tax software, and prepares returns autonomously — cutting first-pass prep time by 90%
SAN FRANCISCO, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TaxGPT, the AI operating system for accounting and tax professionals, is redefining what it means to prepare a tax return. The company today announces the new Tax Prep Agent: a first-to-market autonomous AI that reads source documents, uses tax software as a human preparer does, and completes returns from start to finish — all in a secure environment, without a human touching the keyboard.
The Tax Prep Agent works directly inside the software firms already use. It pulls workpapers like W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, and Excel trial balances from local folders or intake software, then opens the tax platform via browser automation, enters return data, runs diagnostics, and flags anything that requires human judgment. The industry-leading browser automation works with all web-based intake, onboarding, tax prep, and delivery tools. When preparation is complete, it hands off to Agent Andrew, TaxGPT’s return-review agent, who reconciles source documents with the prepared return and surfaces audit-sensitive items for CPA sign-off.
“The Tax Prep Agent doesn’t just assist tax professionals — it works alongside them,” said Kashif Ali, CEO and co-founder of TaxGPT. “Firms can now scale their capacity without scaling their headcount, and their people can focus on the judgment calls that actually require a tax professional.”
For a 20-person firm processing 2,000 returns a season, TaxGPT projects 45 minutes saved per 1040 and a 5x increase in review capacity. Across the platform, TaxGPT sees a 90% reduction in first-pass prep time. These savings result in higher margins, reduced team burnout and more time for client-facing work.
“We built TaxGPT AI-native from day one,” said Isabella Maceda-Ali, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of TaxGPT. “Legacy providers are working with around 30 to 40 years of code that wasn’t designed for AI. We didn’t have to retrofit anything — the entire platform was built to work this way.”
With the complexity of the U.S. tax code already costing Americans over $500 billion annually1, the launch comes as the accounting profession faces a compounding workforce crisis: graduate enrollment in accounting programs has declined for years, and according to the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), nearly 75% of CPAs are approaching retirement age. Firms are being asked to handle more volume with fewer people — at the exact moment AI has become capable enough to close that gap.
The Tax Prep Agent is currently optimized for 1040s, with 1065s and 1120s on the roadmap. The TaxGPT agents will be able to operate desktop apps as a human accountant does in the next four weeks. TaxGPT is SOC 2 Type 2 certified, with all data encrypted at rest and in transit, hosted onshore, with firm-level access controls.
Founded in 2023 by Kashif Ali and Isabella Maceda-Ali, TaxGPT serves 70,000+ users across the accounting profession (as of March 2026).
TaxGPT is now running demonstrations of its Tax Prep Agent for CPAs via https://www.taxgpt.com/tax-prep.
About TaxGPT
TaxGPT is an AI operating system for accounting and tax professionals, combining AI-native architecture with deep workflow integration to help firms do more with the teams they have. Headquartered in San Francisco, TaxGPT serves 70,000+ users across the accounting profession. Learn more at taxgpt.com.
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SOURCE TaxGPT
