Fact-Check a Viral Tax Post on X Against Official Sources with Grok
Not tax advice; confirm with a tax professional.
What the source describes
xAI's cookbook example builds a fact-checker with the Grok API. You paste a link to a post on X, and Grok reads it with X Search, images and video included, and splits it into up to four claims. It then checks each claim on the web and on X in its own request and writes a note in which every sentence cites a source the searches actually returned. Each claim gets a verdict of supported, missing context or not enough evidence, and any source Grok lists that the searches did not return is dropped, so a verdict stands only when a kept source backs it. The source-checking safeguards described here are part of the cookbook code, not the Grok app.
Result or outcome
According to the source, one sample check took 39 seconds and cost about 15 cents, and in xAI's runs Grok rated a post's dollar claim as missing context because the filings, and the post's own image, added up to a different figure.
How to run it
- Copy the link to the X post that clients or staff are sharing about a tax change, deadline or IRS program.
- Paste the prompt on this page into Grok on grok.com or in the X app with the post link and your state (no API needed). The xAI cookbook version, which drops any source the searches did not return, runs on the xAI API and needs an API key and per-use billing.
- Open every cited source and confirm it is an official page or a reputable outlet and that it says what the verdict claims.
- Treat not enough evidence as a reason to wait rather than repeat the claim, and check the IRS newsroom again before you reply.
- Edit the client note so it says only what the official source says, and add a line suggesting they ask their tax professional about their own situation.
Try it yourself
Copyable prompt
Here is a post on X that clients are forwarding to me: [post link]. Read the post and list each factual claim it makes about taxes, deadlines, penalties, deductions or IRS programs, up to four. For each claim, look for the official source first (IRS.gov, the Treasury, or the revenue department for [state]) and then reputable news. Give a verdict of supported, missing context, or not enough evidence, with the links you relied on. Only cite pages your searches actually returned. Then write a three-sentence note I can send to clients that says what is accurate, what is not, and where to read the official guidance, without giving tax advice.
Replace the [bracketed] placeholders. Remove client names, account numbers, and personal data before pasting into any AI tool.
What to review
A post can mix a real announcement with a wrong date or an overstated benefit, so read the official release in full rather than relying on the verdict. Make sure the note does not advise a client on their own return, and keep the links so you can show where each statement came from.
Related free download: 50 AI Prompts for Bookkeepers (Prompt pack (PDF))
Source: xAI Docs (fact-check cookbook); also IRS (IRS social media accounts)
Not professional advice. This is general information, not accounting, tax, legal or financial advice. Check AI output yourself and consult a licensed professional for your situation. See our Terms of Use.
This entry summarizes a public source. Features, plans, and availability change, so confirm details with the vendor. Tool names are trademarks of their respective owners.
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