diff --git a/app/models/annotations/tag.rb b/app/models/annotations/tag.rb
index 4755b39d6..d5ac548f2 100644
--- a/app/models/annotations/tag.rb
+++ b/app/models/annotations/tag.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 class Tag < ApplicationRecord
   include AnnotationBase
+  extend TagHelpers
 
   # "tag" is a reference to a TagText object
   field :tag, GraphQL::Types::Int, presence: true
@@ -91,6 +92,18 @@ def hit_nested_objects_limit?
     ret
   end
 
+  def self.create_project_media_tags(project_media_id, tags_json)
+    project_media = ProjectMedia.find_by_id(project_media_id)
+
+    if !project_media.nil?
+      tags = JSON.parse(tags_json)
+      clean_tags(tags).each { |tag| Tag.create! annotated: project_media, tag: tag.strip, skip_check_ability: true }
+    else
+      error = StandardError.new("[ProjectMedia] Exception creating project media's tags in background. Project media is nil.")
+      CheckSentry.notify(error, project_media_id: project_media_id)
+    end
+  end
+
   private
 
   def get_tag_text_reference
diff --git a/app/models/concerns/project_media_creators.rb b/app/models/concerns/project_media_creators.rb
index b8be45cb2..032bd86d5 100644
--- a/app/models/concerns/project_media_creators.rb
+++ b/app/models/concerns/project_media_creators.rb
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ def create_tags_in_background
     if self.set_tags.is_a?(Array)
       project_media_id = self.id
       tags_json = self.set_tags.to_json
-      ProjectMedia.run_later_in(1.second, 'create_tags', project_media_id, tags_json, user_id: self.user_id)
+      Tag.run_later_in(1.second, 'create_project_media_tags', project_media_id, tags_json, user_id: self.user_id)
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/concerns/tag_helpers.rb b/app/models/concerns/tag_helpers.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ef02ca9a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/concerns/tag_helpers.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+require 'active_support/concern'
+
+module TagHelpers
+  extend ActiveSupport::Concern
+
+  def clean_tags(tags)
+    tags.map { |tag| tag.strip.gsub(/^#/, '') }.uniq
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/models/fact_check.rb b/app/models/fact_check.rb
index 8a4f58b59..7804c51eb 100644
--- a/app/models/fact_check.rb
+++ b/app/models/fact_check.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 class FactCheck < ApplicationRecord
   include Article
+  include TagHelpers
 
   has_paper_trail on: [:create, :update], ignore: [:updated_at, :created_at, :rating, :report_status], if: proc { |_x| User.current.present? }, versions: { class_name: 'Version' }
 
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ class FactCheck < ApplicationRecord
   validates_format_of :url, with: URI.regexp, allow_blank: true, allow_nil: true
   validate :language_in_allowed_values, :title_or_summary_exists, :rating_in_allowed_values
 
+  before_save :clean_fact_check_tags
   after_save :update_report, unless: proc { |fc| fc.skip_report_update || !DynamicAnnotation::AnnotationType.where(annotation_type: 'report_design').exists? || fc.project_media.blank? }
   after_save :update_item_status, if: proc { |fc| fc.saved_change_to_rating? }
   after_update :detach_claim_if_trashed
@@ -56,6 +58,11 @@ def self.get_exported_data(query, team)
     data
   end
 
+  def clean_fact_check_tags
+    return if self.tags.blank?
+    self.tags = clean_tags(self.tags)
+  end
+
   private
 
   def set_language
diff --git a/app/models/project_media.rb b/app/models/project_media.rb
index 9992c02b3..7d6ccb67f 100644
--- a/app/models/project_media.rb
+++ b/app/models/project_media.rb
@@ -528,18 +528,6 @@ def add_nested_objects(ms)
     ms.attributes[:requests] = requests
   end
 
-  def self.create_tags(project_media_id, tags_json)
-    project_media = ProjectMedia.find_by_id(project_media_id)
-
-    if !project_media.nil?
-      tags = JSON.parse(tags_json)
-      tags.each { |tag| Tag.create! annotated: project_media, tag: tag.strip, skip_check_ability: true }
-    else
-      error = StandardError.new("[ProjectMedia] Exception creating project media's tags in background. Project media is nil.")
-      CheckSentry.notify(error, project_media_id: project_media_id)
-    end
-  end
-
   # private
   #
   # Please add private methods to app/models/concerns/project_media_private.rb
diff --git a/test/controllers/graphql_controller_12_test.rb b/test/controllers/graphql_controller_12_test.rb
index a4e5a9e84..bf666da1e 100644
--- a/test/controllers/graphql_controller_12_test.rb
+++ b/test/controllers/graphql_controller_12_test.rb
@@ -680,4 +680,55 @@ def teardown
   assert_response :success
   assert_equal 'science', JSON.parse(@response.body)['data']['createProjectMedia']['project_media']['tags']['edges'][0]['node']['tag_text']
   end
+
+  test "should not create duplicate tags for the ProjectMedia and FactCheck" do
+    Sidekiq::Testing.inline!
+    t = create_team
+    a = ApiKey.create!
+    b = create_bot_user api_key_id: a.id
+    create_team_user team: t, user: b
+    p = create_project team: t
+    authenticate_with_token(a)
+
+    query1 = ' mutation create {
+              createProjectMedia(input: {
+                project_id: ' + p.id.to_s + ',
+                media_type: "Blank",
+                channel: { main: 1 },
+                set_tags: ["science", "science", "#science"],
+                set_status: "verified",
+                set_claim_description: "Claim #1.",
+                set_fact_check: {
+                  title: "Title #1",
+                  language: "en",
+                }
+              }) {
+                project_media {
+                full_url
+                  claim_description {
+                    fact_check {
+                      tags
+                    }
+                  }
+                  tags {
+                    edges {
+                      node {
+                        tag_text
+                      }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            } '
+
+    post :create, params: { query: query1, team: t.slug }
+    assert_response :success
+
+    pm = JSON.parse(@response.body)['data']['createProjectMedia']['project_media']
+    pm_tags = pm['tags']['edges']
+    fc_tags = pm['claim_description']['fact_check']['tags']
+
+    assert_equal 1, pm_tags.count
+    assert_equal 1, fc_tags.count
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/lib/generic_worker_helpers_test.rb b/test/lib/generic_worker_helpers_test.rb
index 11d390d99..9b9311d43 100644
--- a/test/lib/generic_worker_helpers_test.rb
+++ b/test/lib/generic_worker_helpers_test.rb
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ def setup
   def teardown
   end
 
-  test "should run a job, without raising an error, for a method that takes a hash as a parameter" do
+  test "should run a job async, without raising an error, for a method that takes a hash as a parameter" do
     Sidekiq::Testing.inline!
 
     assert_difference "Team.where(name: 'BackgroundTeam', slug: 'background-team').count" do
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def teardown
     end
   end
 
-  test "should run a job, without raising an error, for a method that takes standalone parameters" do
+  test "should run a job in a specified time, without raising an error, for a method that takes standalone parameters" do
     Sidekiq::Testing.inline!
 
     team = create_team
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def teardown
     project_media_id = pm.id
     tags_json = ['one', 'two', 'three'].to_json
 
-    ProjectMedia.run_later_in(0.second, 'create_tags', project_media_id, tags_json, user_id: pm.user_id)
+    Tag.run_later_in(0.second, 'create_project_media_tags', project_media_id, tags_json, user_id: pm.user_id)
 
     assert_equal 3, pm.annotations('tag').count
   end
diff --git a/test/models/fact_check_test.rb b/test/models/fact_check_test.rb
index 54baa29f6..43cf6e466 100644
--- a/test/models/fact_check_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/fact_check_test.rb
@@ -596,4 +596,26 @@ def setup
       end
     end
   end
+
+  test "should not have duplicate tags" do
+    pm = create_project_media
+    cd = create_claim_description(project_media: pm)
+    fc = create_fact_check claim_description: cd, tags: ['one', 'one', '#one']
+
+    assert_equal 1, fc.tags.count
+    assert_equal 'one', fc.tags.first
+  end
+
+  test "should add existing tag to a new fact check" do
+    pm = create_project_media
+    cd = create_claim_description(project_media: pm)
+    create_fact_check claim_description: cd, tags: ['one']
+
+    pm2 = create_project_media
+    cd2 = create_claim_description(project_media: pm2)
+    fc2 = create_fact_check claim_description: cd2, tags: ['#one']
+
+    assert_equal 1, fc2.tags.count
+    assert_equal 'one', fc2.tags.first
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/models/project_media_8_test.rb b/test/models/project_media_8_test.rb
index 42f9b9c41..9323805f3 100644
--- a/test/models/project_media_8_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/project_media_8_test.rb
@@ -9,30 +9,6 @@ def setup
   def teardown
   end
 
-  test ":create_tags should create tags when project media id and tags are present" do
-    team = create_team
-    project = create_project team: team
-    pm = create_project_media project: project
-
-    project_media_id = pm.id
-    tags_json = ['one', 'two'].to_json
-
-    assert_nothing_raised do
-      ProjectMedia.create_tags(project_media_id, tags_json)
-    end
-    assert_equal 2, pm.annotations('tag').count
-  end
-
-  test ":create_tags should not raise an error when no project media is sent" do
-    project_media_id = nil
-    tags_json = ['one', 'two'].to_json
-
-    assert_nothing_raised do
-      CheckSentry.expects(:notify).once
-      ProjectMedia.create_tags(project_media_id, tags_json)
-    end
-  end
-
   test "when creating an item with tag/tags, after_create :create_tags_in_background callback should create tags in the background" do
     Sidekiq::Testing.inline!
 
@@ -55,18 +31,13 @@ def teardown
     assert_equal 1, GenericWorker.jobs.size
   end
 
-  test "when using :run_later_in to schedule multiple tags creation, it should only schedule one job" do
-    Sidekiq::Testing.fake!
+  test "when creating an item with multiple tags, after_create :create_tags_in_background callback should not create duplicate tags" do
+    Sidekiq::Testing.inline!
 
     team = create_team
     project = create_project team: team
-    pm = create_project_media project: project
+    pm = create_project_media project: project, tags: ['one', 'one', '#one']
 
-    project_media_id = pm.id
-    tags_json = ['one', 'two', 'three'].to_json
-
-    ProjectMedia.run_later_in(0.second, 'create_tags', project_media_id, tags_json, user_id: pm.user_id)
-
-    assert_equal 1, GenericWorker.jobs.size
+    assert_equal 1, pm.annotations('tag').count
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/models/tag_test.rb b/test/models/tag_test.rb
index 0439f5583..c1b7e14f5 100644
--- a/test/models/tag_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/tag_test.rb
@@ -284,4 +284,58 @@ def setup
       create_tag tag: ' foo', annotated: pm2
     end
   end
+
+  test ":create_project_media_tags should create tags when project media id and tags are present" do
+    team = create_team
+    project = create_project team: team
+    pm = create_project_media project: project
+
+    project_media_id = pm.id
+    tags_json = ['one', 'two'].to_json
+
+    assert_nothing_raised do
+      Tag.create_project_media_tags(project_media_id, tags_json)
+    end
+    assert_equal 2, pm.annotations('tag').count
+  end
+
+  test ":create_project_media_tags should not raise an error when no project media is sent" do
+    project_media_id = nil
+    tags_json = ['one', 'two'].to_json
+
+    assert_nothing_raised do
+      CheckSentry.expects(:notify).once
+      Tag.create_project_media_tags(project_media_id, tags_json)
+    end
+  end
+
+  test ":create_project_media_tags should not try to create duplicate tags" do
+    Sidekiq::Testing.fake!
+
+    team = create_team
+    project = create_project team: team
+    pm = create_project_media project: project
+    Tag.create_project_media_tags(pm.id, ['one', 'one', '#one'].to_json)
+
+    tags = pm.reload.annotations('tag')
+    tag_text_id = tags.last.data['tag']
+    tag_text = TagText.find(tag_text_id).text
+
+    assert_equal 1, tags.count
+    assert_equal 'one', tag_text
+  end
+
+  test ":create_project_media_tags should be able to add an existing tag to a new project media" do
+    Sidekiq::Testing.fake!
+
+    team = create_team
+    project = create_project team: team
+    pm = create_project_media project: project
+    Tag.create_project_media_tags(pm.id, ['one'].to_json)
+
+    pm2 = create_project_media project: project
+    Tag.create_project_media_tags(pm2.id, ['#one'].to_json)
+
+    assert_equal 1, pm2.reload.annotations('tag').count
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/workers/generic_worker_test.rb b/test/workers/generic_worker_test.rb
index 628602a0d..baf671cec 100644
--- a/test/workers/generic_worker_test.rb
+++ b/test/workers/generic_worker_test.rb
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ def teardown
     tags_json = ['one', 'two'].to_json
 
     assert_difference "Tag.where(annotation_type: 'tag').count", difference = 2 do
-      GenericWorker.perform_async('ProjectMedia', 'create_tags', project_media_id, tags_json, user_id: pm.user_id)
+      GenericWorker.perform_async('Tag', 'create_project_media_tags', project_media_id, tags_json, user_id: pm.user_id)
     end
   end
 
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def teardown
     tags_json = ['one', 'two'].to_json
 
     assert_nothing_raised do
-      GenericWorker.perform_async('ProjectMedia', 'create_tags', project_media_id, tags_json, user_id: pm.user_id)
+      GenericWorker.perform_async('Tag', 'create_project_media_tags', project_media_id, tags_json, user_id: pm.user_id)
     end
 
     assert_equal 1, GenericWorker.jobs.size