I asked an AI for tax advice — it approved a mistake that ends in a tax audit
A general-purpose AI confused two French tax articles on pension deductions. What saved me — a tool built to contradict instead of confirm your reasoning.
I asked an AI for tax advice. It said yes. To a mistake that would have ended in a tax reassessment.
The question
Deducting my PER (French retirement plan) contributions through my EURL company, using my carried-forward retirement savings ceiling.
Solid reasoning, numbers included — except it was confusing two distinct mechanisms:
- Article 154 bis: deduction from business profit. Annual ceiling, no carry-forward.
- Article 163 quatervicies: deduction from global income. This is the one that carries the carry-forward.
Destination: double deduction. Tax reassessment guaranteed. 😱
What saved me
A skill I built to analyse these cases with genuine legal rigour.
It didn't approve. It contradicted me: "you're confusing two articles, and that changes everything."
Three lessons
- A general-purpose AI confirms. A good tool contradicts.
- A confident answer is not a correct answer.
- AI doesn't replace your accountant. It sends you to them with the right questions instead of false certainty.