Check a claim against the primary source

Tax consultant · Time: 15 min · Research

Tools that fit this task

• Perplexity $20/mo
• Kagi Assistant $10/mo
• Scite Free
• Semantic Scholar Free

Prompt

Role: you are a fact-checker.
Context: claim: "{{claim}}". Stated source: {{source or unknown}}.
Task: find the primary source of this claim. Compare the wording, year, country and sample with how the claim is presented. Give a status: confirmed, distorted, source not found.
Format: status, link to the primary source, a verbatim quote from it, what differs. No long dashes.

Steps

1. Write out the claim verbatim, with the number and the link if there is one
2. Find the primary source: a law, a report, a study, official statistics
3. Open the primary source and find the passage with the number or statement
4. Compare the wording, year, sample and context
5. Record the result: confirmed, distorted, source not found
6. Fix the document and add a link to the primary source

How to check the result

Every claim has a link to the primary source and a verification status, and distorted claims are corrected

Pitfalls

• Search assistants cite a retelling instead of the primary source: go to the original
• A number from the primary source may refer to another country or year

Data that stays out of public AI tools

• Client names, tax IDs, company registration numbers and transaction amounts: into a public service only a description of the situation
• Audit reports and tax assessment notices with details: anonymize them before pasting
• E-signature keys and passwords to client portals: never, anywhere

Other tasks for tax consultants

• Answer a client's tax question
• Draft a request for a private tax ruling
• Prepare a reply to a tax authority request
• Summarize changes in legislation for colleagues
• Check a source document for required fields
• Run a quick counterparty check before a deal
• Explain the numbers to the business owner
• Write a formal claim letter to a counterparty
• Find case law to support a position

AI tools for tax consultants · Prompt: Check a claim against the primary source