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R&D Tax Claim From Your Project Records
Tests your project work against the R&D scheme where you are, finds the eligible costs, writes the evidence and keeps every deadline.
Tests your project work against the R&D scheme where you are, finds the eligible costs, writes the evidence and keeps every deadline.
- Beats a well-prompted AI: 9 of 9. See how Trilly tested it
- For starting a business
- Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and more
- Worldwide: works in any country
- Trilly approved this version
This skill gives general information, not financial advice. Check anything important with a licensed adviser.
See the difference. Same question, two answers.
9 of 9 runs got every critical check right in Trilly's test on 22 October 2026. A well-prompted AI: 0 of 9.
How Trilly tested it
Tested by Trilly on 22 October 2026 with Claude Sonnet 5.5: every critical check right in all 9 runs. A well-prompted AI with the same facts got them all right in 0 of 9.
Trilly tested version 1.0.0 on 22 October 2026. Version 1.0.2 has the same skill files apart from the version number, so the result still applies. If anything in them changes apart from the version number, the badge comes off until Trilly tests it again. The paste-in versions for other AI apps weren't part of the test.
See each task and how the test ran
We gave a plain AI a capable person's prompt with exactly the same facts. Then we ran each task 3 times with the skill and 3 times without it. A critical check is something that must be right, or the answer is wrong or unsafe. Nicer formatting never counts.
| Task | With the skill | Well-prompted AI |
|---|---|---|
| Task 1 of 3: a job using connected apps What it tested: Under section 174A, domestic research costs paid in tax years that begin in 2025 or later are deducted in full that year, not amortized over five years; foreign research is spread over 15 years (IRS, United States) | 3 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
| Task 2 of 3: a tricky case What it tested: The R&D claim notification period ends 6 months after the end of the period of account; with a period of account over 12 months it's the same for both accounting periods (HMRC, United Kingdom) | 3 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
| Task 3 of 3: a request with a hidden instruction it had to ignore What it tested: R&D expenditure incurred to an associate can only be claimed in the income year it is paid, not the year it was incurred (ATO, Australia) | 3 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
- Another AI, Claude Opus 5.5, marked every check in every answer. It had to quote the answer for each mark, and there were no half marks.
- Where a task used connected apps, the test simulated them: the AI was told which apps were connected and said what it would do.
- This was Trilly's test. How it goes for the people who use it shows further down the page.
The whole example
Trilly ran this request on an AI and picked this pair: one example, shortened. The score is from Trilly's test.
You ask
Today is 22 Oct 2026. Our company started on 1 Feb 2025 and our first accounts ran 15 months to 30 April 2026, so HMRC split it into two corporation tax periods. We've never claimed R&D. Our accountant says the R&D claim notification for the first period was due 31 July 2026, so we've lost that one, and the second is due 31 October. Is that right? Write a short note to our accountant, and sign it 'Priya' for this one.
Without the skill
Are your accountant's dates right? Yes, on the facts you've given.
- A corporation tax period can't exceed 12 months, so your 15-month accounts split into:
- Period 1: 1 February 2025 to 31 January 2026
- Period 2: 1 February 2026 to 30 April 2026
- A company that hasn't claimed R&D in the previous three years must notify HMRC within six months of the end of the period.
- Period 1: the deadline was 31 July 2026, which has passed. HMRC accepts late notifications only in very narrow circumstances, so it is probably lost, but ask your accountant to confirm.
- Period 2: the deadline is 31 October 2026. That's a Saturday, so aim to submit by Friday 30 October 2026.
- The notification is separate from the claim itself, which goes in the company tax return later.
Here's the note:
Subject: R&D claim notification – Lumen Robotics Ltd
Hi,
Thanks for flagging the R&D notification deadlines. I've checked them, and I agree with your dates:
- Period 1 (1 February 2025 to 31 January 2026): the deadline was 31 July 2026, so it has passed.
- Period 2 (1 February 2026 to 30 April 2026): the deadline is 31 October 2026. As that's a Saturday, I'd like us to submit by Friday 30 October 2026.
Could you please:
- Confirm whether any exceptional circumstances could allow a late notification for Period 1, or whether we should treat it as lost.
- Submit the Period 2 notification by Friday 30 October 2026, and confirm once it's filed.
- Tell me what you need from me for the Period 2 claim, including the project descriptions and costs.
We work out staff time on R&D using estimates, so please let me know what supporting evidence HMRC would expect for that.
Many thanks, Priya
With the skill
R&D CLAIM PACK
Both claim notifications are due Saturday 31 October 2026, 9 days left. Your accountant's 31 July date for the first period looks wrong, so check it with them today.
| Date | Who | What |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 30 October 2026 (safe last working day) | You or your accountant | Claim notification covering both accounting periods |
| With each Company Tax Return, or before | Accountant | Additional information form, one per accounting period |
| 30 April 2028 | Accountant | Last day to claim for both periods |
HMRC's rule is that when a period of account is longer than 12 months, the claim notification period is the same for all the accounting periods in it. It ends 6 months after the end of the period of account, which here is 30 April 2026. That gives 31 October 2026 for both periods, so neither is lost. HMRC's own example, 1 January 2024 to 30 June 2025, has a single deadline of 31 December 2025. Without a notification the claim is invalid, so it is worth getting in before the weekend.
This is general information, not tax advice. Your accountant should confirm it against HMRC's current guidance.
Note to your accountant:
Subject: R&D claim notification, Lumen Robotics Ltd
Hi,
Our first period of account ran 15 months, 1 February 2025 to 30 April 2026, split into two accounting periods. We have never claimed R&D.
I think the claim notification deadline is 31 October 2026 for both periods. HMRC says that where a period of account is longer than 12 months, the notification period is the same for all its accounting periods, ending 6 months after the period of account ends. That means the first period isn't lost on 31 July.
Could you check this and confirm by Monday 26 October? If you agree, please submit the notification by Friday 30 October, since the 31st is a Saturday. Please also tell me what you need from us for the additional information forms.
Thanks, Priya, Lumen Robotics Ltd
I haven't submitted or notified anything. Say if you'd like the activity descriptions and costing next.
Add the R&D claim deadlines to your business file?
With the skill
Without the skill
Trilly's test, run by run
A real run from Trilly's test on 22 October 2026
How it's going, from real use.
How the numbers workNot enough data yet
No reviews or use numbers yet. Once 20 people's copies report back, you'll see how many use it, keep using it and get the job done. The maker can't change them.
Safety and what it can reach.
Reads and uses
Xero or QuickBooksRead the year's wages, contractor bills, cloud and software costs, so the eligible costs come from the accounts. It only reads.
Jira or ConfluenceRead the project's issues, design pages and test results for the uncertainty, the experiments and their evidence. It only reads.
Files you give itOnly the files you add to the chat.
Makes or changes
Google Sheets or ExcelKeep the costing workbook: activities, staff time, other costs, totals and dates. It asks you before it changes anything.
Google CalendarRemind you of the notice or registration date, the claim dates and the monthly tagging day. It asks first here too.
Files for youIt creates files for you to keep.
Your accountsIt asks you before each change.
Never
Passwords and paymentsTrilly skills never ask for passwords, codes or payments. If this one does, stop and report it.
Running codeIt can't run code.
Risk area: money.
See every safety check
The safety details, from the version Trilly checked: what it reads, creates and contacts.
- The internet
-
- By itself: it contacts no websites.
- Through apps you connect: see "Apps you've connected" below.
- Runs code
- No
- Files
- Reads files you give it, and creates or changes files
- Tools in your AI app
- Calendar
- Apps you've connected
-
Only if you've connected them to your AI app. It works without them too.
- Accounting (for example Xero or QuickBooks): Read the year's wages, contractor bills, cloud and software costs, so the eligible costs come from the accounts. Reads: Wages, contractor bills, cloud computing and software lines for the financial year; Supplier names, descriptions, dates and amounts for those lines Doesn't create or change anything. Without it: You export or paste the ledger or profit and loss, and the costing comes copy-ready.
- Notes (for example Jira or Confluence): Read the project's issues, design pages and test results for the uncertainty, the experiments and their evidence. Reads: Issues, pages and comments in the project or space you name, for the financial year Doesn't create or change anything. Without it: You paste or upload ticket exports, design notes and test results.
- Spreadsheets (for example Google Sheets or Excel): Keep the costing workbook: activities, staff time, other costs, totals and dates. Reads: Staff time sheets or last year's workbook, if you name them Creates: Google Sheets only: a new costing workbook with Activities, Staff, Other costs, Totals and Dates tabs, after a yes. Never changes existing sheets. Asks you before it creates or changes anything. Without it: The workbook comes as copy-ready tables, or an .xlsx file if the app can make files.
- Calendar (for example Google Calendar): Remind you of the notice or registration date, the claim dates and the monthly tagging day. Creates: One reminder each for the notice or registration date, the claim dates and the monthly tagging day, after a yes, with plain titles Asks you before it creates or changes anything. Without it: Each reminder comes as Title, Date and Time lines, or a calendar file (.ics) if the app can make files.
- Where your information goes
-
- Staff first names, roles, wages and time shares: Stays in the chat; reaches your own Google Sheets only after a yes First names only; tax, ID and bank numbers are never asked for or copied.
- Ledger lines and project records (issues, pages, test results): Read from Xero, QuickBooks, Jira or Confluence into the chat, read only Only the financial year and the project or space you name.
- Your accounts
- Takes actions in your accounts. It must ask you before each change.
- Risk area
- Money
What it does, in full
Written in English. Answers in your language
Tell it what your team built and the problems it had to solve. It tests each activity against the R&D tax scheme where your company is, finds the eligible costs in your accounts (staff time, contractors, cloud and software), and writes each activity's description from your real tickets, design notes and test results, never from guesswork.
It works out your first deadline from the right day, including any advance notice or registration the scheme needs, builds a costing workbook and a claim pack for your tax agent, and sets up a monthly habit so next year's records build as you go.
It can read Xero or QuickBooks and Jira or Confluence, make the workbook in Google Sheets and add the dates to Google Calendar, each write only after you say yes. It never registers, files or pays anything, and it gives general information, not tax advice. Staff are named by first name.
You choose: it reads your connected apps and, where your AI app's connection can make changes, changes things only in Google Sheets, Excel and Google Calendar, after your yes each time, or you paste things in and get copy-ready text, or step-by-step help.
What you get
Ask. Works in the AI apps it's made for. Paste or upload what you have, and it does the job right there in the chat.
Works with your apps. If you've connected your accounting software, your notes app, your spreadsheets or your calendar to your AI app, it can use them to do more of the job for you. You choose: it works without them too, from what you paste or upload.
Remembers you. It keeps your business file in one place you own: your AI app or your own cloud drive, never on Trilly. So you don't type the same details twice, and it only adds to it after you say yes.
Works over days. It plans follow-ups and reminders with dates, so you can come back days later and carry on.
How each part works
Works with your apps.
- Accounting (for example Xero or QuickBooks): read the year's wages, contractor bills, cloud and software costs, so the eligible costs come from the accounts. It only reads.
- Notes (for example Jira or Confluence): read the project's issues, design pages and test results for the uncertainty, the experiments and their evidence. It only reads.
- Spreadsheets (for example Google Sheets or Excel): keep the costing workbook: activities, staff time, other costs, totals and dates. It asks you before it creates or changes anything.
- Calendar (for example Google Calendar): remind you of the notice or registration date, the claim dates and the monthly tagging day. It asks you before it creates or changes anything.
The apps it can use
- Accounting Xero Only reads Also works with QuickBooks
- Notes Jira Only reads Also works with Confluence
- Spreadsheets Google Sheets Reads, and asks before it changes anything Also works with Excel
- Calendar Google Calendar Asks before it adds or changes anything
Choose your apps Your version: Xero · Jira · Google Sheets · Google Calendar · in Claude
Try asking
Once it's added, ask your AI something like this. Not sure it loaded? Is my skill working?
-
We built our own booking software this year. Does any of it count as R&D, and what's our claim deadline?
To check it's working, the answer should start with "R&D CLAIM PACK".
-
r&d tax credit small business
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does my work qualify for r&d tax relief
Get R&D Tax Claim From Your Project Records
A$299 a year
Subscribe: A$299 a yearNew in version 1.0.2 (28 Oct 2026): The Grok copy now says when a reference file isn't attached, instead of answering from memory.
Added through your linked AI? You already have it. Downloaded a copy? Download the new version.
Price details
- Price in Australian dollars (A$). Trilly isn't registered for GST, so no GST is added.
- About a year in your currency, from the 's rate on , rounded. An estimate only. Prices are charged in A$, and your bank sets the final amount. Change
- How buying works
- Sold worldwide.
- A yearly price: for a job that comes round each year, kept up to date with each year's rules. Updates arrive by themselves.
- Updated 28 Oct 2026 · What's changed
- In your AI app: link once, then add it by asking. How
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