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Does HMRC use AI?
Short answer
Yes. HMRC's July 2026 transformation update says it has issued more than 28,000 Microsoft Copilot licences to staff, runs an AI-powered digital assistant called Ask HMRC with over 6.3 million interactions in 2025 to 2026, and is piloting AI call summaries. It also uses data and AI to nudge people towards correct returns and to target compliance work.
How HMRC says it uses AI
From the HMRC Transformation Roadmap update (27 July 2026):
- Copilot for staff: over 28,000 licences by March 2026, for drafting and summarising documents, emails and meetings, with plans to reach 50,000. HMRC says skilled caseworkers make the final decisions.
- Ask HMRC: an AI-powered digital assistant for customers, with work under way to make it more conversational.
- Call summaries: pilots that draft notes from customer calls, with a person reviewing them.
- Nudges in Making Tax Digital: prompts in software that flag likely errors, being extended to VAT from April 2027.
- Compliance: AI tools to help compliance officers, and a competition with private firms to test AI for tackling deliberate evasion.
- Voice biometrics on speech-enabled phone lines, so callers can identify themselves by voice.
GOV.UK's algorithmic transparency records list individual HMRC tools in more detail.
What it means for you
- Keep records accurate and complete; mismatches with data HMRC holds are easier to spot.
- Use the nudges in your MTD software rather than ignoring them.
- If an HMRC chatbot answer doesn't fit your situation, check GOV.UK guidance or ask an adviser.
Related questions
Can AI do my tax return?
It can help you prepare, but you're responsible for what you submit. See can ChatGPT do my tax return?
Will AI replace accountants?
See will AI replace accountants and bookkeepers?
Sources
Checked 17 October 2026. Rules and prices change, so check the source before you rely on it. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
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