diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/tags-var.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/tags-var.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..40c581cd723
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/tags-var.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- tags - allow tags to be specified by a variable (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/49825)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/playbook/taggable.py b/lib/ansible/playbook/taggable.py
index 38b43620a00..d8a715826da 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/playbook/taggable.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/playbook/taggable.py
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@
 from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
 __metaclass__ = type
 
-import itertools
-
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.module_utils.six import string_types
 from ansible.playbook.attribute import FieldAttribute
@@ -32,9 +30,6 @@ class Taggable:
     untagged = frozenset(['untagged'])
     _tags = FieldAttribute(isa='list', default=list, listof=(string_types, int), extend=True)
 
-    def __init__(self):
-        super(Taggable, self).__init__()
-
     def _load_tags(self, attr, ds):
         if isinstance(ds, list):
             return ds
@@ -54,13 +49,14 @@ class Taggable:
             templar = Templar(loader=self._loader, variables=all_vars)
             tags = templar.template(self.tags)
 
-            if not isinstance(tags, list):
-                if tags.find(',') != -1:
-                    tags = set(tags.split(','))
+            _temp_tags = set()
+            for tag in tags:
+                if isinstance(tag, list):
+                    _temp_tags.update(tag)
                 else:
-                    tags = set([tags])
-            else:
-                tags = set([i for i, _ in itertools.groupby(tags)])
+                    _temp_tags.add(tag)
+            tags = _temp_tags
+            self.tags = list(tags)
         else:
             # this makes isdisjoint work for untagged
             tags = self.untagged
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/tags/runme.sh b/test/integration/targets/tags/runme.sh
index 311933902f4..949fbd5fb94 100755
--- a/test/integration/targets/tags/runme.sh
+++ b/test/integration/targets/tags/runme.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8
 
 # Run everything by default
 [ "$("${COMMAND[@]}" | grep -F Task_with | xargs)" = \
-"Task_with_tag TAGS: [tag] Task_with_always_tag TAGS: [always] Task_with_unicode_tag TAGS: [くらとみ] Task_with_list_of_tags TAGS: [café, press] Task_without_tag TAGS: []" ]
+"Task_with_tag TAGS: [tag] Task_with_always_tag TAGS: [always] Task_with_unicode_tag TAGS: [くらとみ] Task_with_list_of_tags TAGS: [café, press] Task_without_tag TAGS: [] Task_with_csv_tags TAGS: [tag1, tag2] Task_with_templated_tags TAGS: [tag3]" ]
 
 # Run the exact tags, and always
 [ "$("${COMMAND[@]}" --tags tag | grep -F Task_with | xargs)" = \
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ export LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8
 
 # Skip one tag
 [ "$("${COMMAND[@]}" --skip-tags tag | grep -F Task_with | xargs)" = \
-"Task_with_always_tag TAGS: [always] Task_with_unicode_tag TAGS: [くらとみ] Task_with_list_of_tags TAGS: [café, press] Task_without_tag TAGS: []" ]
+"Task_with_always_tag TAGS: [always] Task_with_unicode_tag TAGS: [くらとみ] Task_with_list_of_tags TAGS: [café, press] Task_without_tag TAGS: [] Task_with_csv_tags TAGS: [tag1, tag2] Task_with_templated_tags TAGS: [tag3]" ]
 
 # Skip a unicode tag
 [ "$("${COMMAND[@]}" --skip-tags 'くらとみ' | grep -F Task_with | xargs)" = \
-"Task_with_tag TAGS: [tag] Task_with_always_tag TAGS: [always] Task_with_list_of_tags TAGS: [café, press] Task_without_tag TAGS: []" ]
+"Task_with_tag TAGS: [tag] Task_with_always_tag TAGS: [always] Task_with_list_of_tags TAGS: [café, press] Task_without_tag TAGS: [] Task_with_csv_tags TAGS: [tag1, tag2] Task_with_templated_tags TAGS: [tag3]" ]
 
 # Run just a unicode tag and always
 [ "$("${COMMAND[@]}" --tags 'くらとみ' | grep -F Task_with | xargs)" = \
@@ -39,3 +39,11 @@ export LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8
 # Run tag with never
 [ "$("${COMMAND[@]}" --tags donever | grep -F Task_with | xargs)" = \
 "Task_with_always_tag TAGS: [always] Task_with_never_tag TAGS: [donever, never]" ]
+
+# Run csv tags
+[ "$("${COMMAND[@]}" --tags tag1 | grep -F Task_with | xargs)" = \
+"Task_with_always_tag TAGS: [always] Task_with_csv_tags TAGS: [tag1, tag2]" ]
+
+# Run templated tags
+[ "$("${COMMAND[@]}" --tags tag3 | grep -F Task_with | xargs)" = \
+"Task_with_always_tag TAGS: [always] Task_with_templated_tags TAGS: [tag3]" ]
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/tags/test_tags.yml b/test/integration/targets/tags/test_tags.yml
index 5f575da7627..a53ba1ade88 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/tags/test_tags.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/tags/test_tags.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
   hosts: localhost
   gather_facts: False
   connection: local
+  vars:
+    the_tags:
+      - tag3
   tasks:
     - name: Task_with_tag
       debug: msg=
@@ -23,3 +26,9 @@
     - name: Task_with_never_tag
       debug: msg=NEVER
       tags: ['never', 'donever']
+    - name: Task_with_csv_tags
+      debug: msg=csv
+      tags: tag1,tag2
+    - name: Task_with_templated_tags
+      debug: msg=templated
+      tags: "{{ the_tags }}"
diff --git a/test/units/playbook/test_taggable.py b/test/units/playbook/test_taggable.py
index 573c1329245..ab5f86b46a6 100644
--- a/test/units/playbook/test_taggable.py
+++ b/test/units/playbook/test_taggable.py
@@ -98,8 +98,5 @@ class TestTaggable(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_evaluate_tags_accepts_lists(self):
         self.assert_evaluate_equal(True, ['tag1', 'tag2'], ['tag2'], [])
 
-    def test_evaluate_tags_accepts_strings(self):
-        self.assert_evaluate_equal(True, 'tag1,tag2', ['tag2'], [])
-
     def test_evaluate_tags_with_repeated_tags(self):
         self.assert_evaluate_equal(False, ['tag', 'tag'], [], ['tag'])