diff --git a/plugins/parsers/json_v2/parser.go b/plugins/parsers/json_v2/parser.go
index e586b35ebddc2..d013f6b35e24f 100644
--- a/plugins/parsers/json_v2/parser.go
+++ b/plugins/parsers/json_v2/parser.go
@@ -484,6 +484,8 @@ func (p *Parser) isIncluded(key string, val gjson.Result) bool {
 	if len(p.currentSettings.IncludedKeys) == 0 {
 		return true
 	}
+	// automatically adds tags to included_keys so it does NOT have to be repeated in the config
+	p.currentSettings.IncludedKeys = append(p.currentSettings.IncludedKeys, p.currentSettings.Tags...)
 	for _, i := range p.currentSettings.IncludedKeys {
 		if i == key {
 			return true
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/json_v2/testdata/nested_and_nonnested_tags/telegraf.conf b/plugins/parsers/json_v2/testdata/nested_and_nonnested_tags/telegraf.conf
index 45692dc5df0e2..e1748b463690b 100644
--- a/plugins/parsers/json_v2/testdata/nested_and_nonnested_tags/telegraf.conf
+++ b/plugins/parsers/json_v2/testdata/nested_and_nonnested_tags/telegraf.conf
@@ -9,10 +9,8 @@ data_format = "json_v2"
             disable_prepend_keys = true
             path = "@this"
             included_keys = [
-                "hostname",
                 "systemVoltage",
                 "systemCurrent",
                 "tables",
-                "tables_outputname",
             ]
             tags = ["hostname", "tables_outputname"]
diff --git a/plugins/parsers/json_v2/testdata/object/telegraf.conf b/plugins/parsers/json_v2/testdata/object/telegraf.conf
index 6ad244fd71418..50ed245a3cf00 100644
--- a/plugins/parsers/json_v2/testdata/object/telegraf.conf
+++ b/plugins/parsers/json_v2/testdata/object/telegraf.conf
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
             [[inputs.file.json_v2.object]]
                 path = "root.station"
                 disable_prepend_keys = true
-                included_keys = ["name", "etd_destination", "etd_estimate_minutes"]
+                included_keys = ["etd_estimate_minutes"]
                 tags = ["name", "etd_destination"]
                 [inputs.file.json_v2.object.fields]
                     etd_estimate_minutes = "int"