R&D tax credits and relief — Prepare Your Claim with AI
Prepare your claim yourself, with step-by-step guidance from Plio.
Plio guides you through HMRC questions, helps you explain your R&D activities and organise qualifying costs — one step at a time. Prepare your claim information yourself, save on preparation fees and choose whether to submit independently or involve your accountant or tax advisor.
You Don't Need to Be an R&D Tax Expert to Get Started
Preparing an R&D tax relief claim can be challenging. HMRC requires businesses to explain their technical work, demonstrate qualifying R&D activities and support their costs.
Plio makes it easier.
Follow simple, guided steps that explain what information is needed, help you prepare your answers and highlight anything missing.
Step-by-Step Guidance
Know what to do next, with clear guidance through every stage of claim preparation.
AI Assistance When You Need It
Lister AI helps you understand HMRC questions and identify gaps in your evidence.
Save on Preparation Costs
Prepare more yourself and reduce the amount of external assistance you may need.
Your Claim Preparation at a Glance
These five stages summarise claim preparation. The detailed workflow on How It Works covers eight steps. No previous R&D tax experience required to get started.
Tell Us About Your R&D
Answer guided questions about your project, technical challenges and the work undertaken — in your own words.
Let Lister AI Guide You
Lister AI reviews your technical explanations against HMRC criteria and relevant research, highlighting potential uncertainties and missing evidence.
Add Your R&D Costs
Enter or import your costs, identify potentially qualifying expenditure and record how you allocated it to R&D.
Review Your Claim Information
Check your technical answers, costs and supporting evidence. Plio helps identify gaps before you proceed.
Choose How to Submit
Use your prepared information to support your own filing, share it with your accountant or seek specialist review.
Prepare your claim with Plio. Submit it yourself or with professional help — your choice.
Meet Lister AI — Your R&D Claim Assistant
You know your R&D work. Lister AI helps you explain it.
Explaining technical uncertainties and advances to HMRC can be challenging.
Lister AI guides you through the questions, reviews your explanations and helps identify missing information — making it easier to prepare your R&D evidence.
Discover Lister AI →Lister AI assists with claim preparation. It does not certify R&D eligibility or guarantee HMRC acceptance.
See R&D Projects in Practice
Worked examples across 13 sectors, from software and engineering to life sciences and space.
Your R&D Costs, Made Easier to Organise
Preparing your claim also means identifying which costs may qualify and how much relates to your R&D activities.
Plio guides you step by step — from collecting costs to explaining your calculations.
Explore R&D Qualifying CostsPlio helps prepare cost information. Whether expenditure qualifies depends on HMRC rules and your circumstances.
No Need to Change How You Run Your Business
Your R&D activities, costs and supporting evidence may already be recorded in your existing business systems.
Plio helps you turn that information into organised R&D tax relief claim preparation.
Keep Your Existing Software
No need to replace your accounting or project management tools.
Use your existing records, add the relevant information to Plio and follow the guided preparation process.
Prepare It Yourself. Choose How to Submit.
With Plio, you prepare your R&D tax relief claim information yourself.
When you're ready, decide whether to submit independently or involve your accountant or an R&D tax advisor.
Submit Yourself
Use the information prepared in Plio to support your own HMRC filing.
Use Your Accountant
Share your prepared information with your accountant for review and assistance with the Corporation Tax filing.
Ask an R&D Tax Advisor
Get specialist help reviewing your technical evidence, costs and claim information.
No mandatory tax advisor. No need to change your accountant. Your choice.
Prepare More Yourself. Spend Less on Claim Preparation.
Do the preparation yourself. Get professional help only when you need it.
Preparing an R&D tax relief claim often involves gathering technical information, organising evidence and calculating costs.
Plio guides you through these tasks step by step, so you can do more of the preparation yourself.
This may reduce the work you need to outsource, while keeping professional advice available whenever you choose.
Actual savings depend on your circumstances and the professional services you use.
View PricingYour Information. Your Decisions. Your Responsibility.
Plio guides you through preparing your R&D tax relief claim, helping you organise technical evidence, answer HMRC questions and document your costs.
Your business remains responsible for the accuracy, completeness and supporting evidence of its claim.
Lister AI provides guidance, not a guarantee of R&D eligibility or HMRC approval. You should review its assessments and seek professional advice when needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prepare my own R&D tax relief claim?+
Yes. UK businesses can prepare their own R&D tax relief claims without appointing a specialist tax advisor. Plio guides you through preparing the supporting technical and financial information. You remain responsible for accurate and complete data you send to HMRC.
How does Plio make R&D tax relief preparation easier?+
Plio breaks the preparation process into guided steps. It explains what information is needed, helps you answer technical questions, assists with organising qualifying expenditure and highlights information that may be missing.
Do I need to change my existing business software?+
No. You can continue using your existing business and project management systems. Plio focuses on organising the technical and financial information needed to prepare your claim.
What is Lister AI?+
Lister AI is Plio's AI assistant. It helps you review technical explanations, understand scientific or technological uncertainties, compare with relevant published research and identify missing information.
Can Lister AI tell me whether my R&D qualifies?+
Lister AI can help assess whether your project information appears consistent with relevant R&D criteria and identify issues requiring further review. It cannot guarantee eligibility or determine whether HMRC will accept your claim.
What R&D costs can I include in my claim?+
Depending on the applicable rules, potentially qualifying expenditure may include certain staffing costs, externally provided workers, contracted R&D, software, consumables and other eligible categories. Plio helps you organise the costs and document proposed allocations.
Can I submit my R&D tax relief claim myself?+
Yes. You can use the information prepared in Plio to support your own filing, provided you complete the relevant HMRC forms and Company Tax Return requirements.
Can my accountant submit the claim for me?+
Yes. You can prepare the information in Plio and provide it to your accountant for review and assistance with the relevant Corporation Tax filing.
Does Plio submit the claim to HMRC?+
No. Plio helps prepare the information needed for an R&D tax relief claim. The required HMRC forms and Company Tax Return must be submitted through the appropriate filing process.
Ready to Make Your R&D Tax Relief Claim Simpler?
You don't need to navigate HMRC requirements alone.
Plio guides you step by step, helping you prepare your technical explanations and organise your R&D costs.
Prepare it yourself. Stay in control. Choose how to submit.