Ahead of ITR’s inaugural AI in Tax Forum in London on September 16, we spoke with Michel Braun, a partner at WTS Digital, about the firm’s flagship ‘plAIground’ product.
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ITR: You say that one of the key strengths of plAIground is its adaptability, and that it simplifies processes for both small and large clients. Can you expand on this and provide some examples?
Michel: Adaptability has been at the heart of plAIground’s design from the very beginning.
In Germany, which is one of the most highly regulated tax markets in Europe, we saw how different the needs of the profession are. Small boutique firms were looking for efficiency in simple but time-consuming processes, like document classification or searching through compliance archives. Large multinationals, on the other hand, needed highly customisable workflows, multi-entity compliance checks and deep integrations with their document management systems. plAIground was able to cover both ends of this spectrum, demonstrating that the platform could flex without unnecessary complexity.
In the UK, this adaptability becomes even more relevant. A sole adviser or a small practice can create a bot for handling routine VAT filings. A mid-tier practice can configure bots to support self-assessment processes or automate R&D credit claims, both areas that are very resource-intensive.
A listed company can integrate plAIground into its processes and create a layer of assurance across multiple entities. The principle is always the same: the system bends to the user’s needs, not the other way around, and that is why onboarding is smoother, and time-to-value is faster across client sizes.
ITR: How important are plAIground’s enhanced document processing capabilities? How does it compare to similar products on the market?
Michel: Document processing is really a cornerstone of plAIground. The difference lies in the fact that our AI is not only trained on general data but specifically tailored to tax documents. It understands the complex, context-driven information you find in European filings and in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) guidance. That means fewer errors, faster turnaround and, above all, more confidence that the system understands what matters in practice.
In Germany, internal pilots showed that plAIground reduced time spent on information search by around 30%. In highly regulated environments such as pillar two compliance, this gain translates directly into more capacity for professional judgement.
In early UK pilots, firms have started to use plAIground to support VAT processes such as extracting relevant data from invoices. Initial feedback shows that tasks which were previously highly manual can now be handled far more quickly and with greater consistency, although the specific gains depend on the individual workflow.
ITR: How do you ensure that plAIground is kept up to date with the latest insights? Who do you work with to make sure the content is fresh and relevant?
Michel: plAIground is not a static tool; it is a living system. In Germany, we have built routines for continuous updates together with leading publishers, legal content providers and academic experts. We also refine our models based on direct client feedback. This ensures that the platform grows with its users.
For the UK we are extending this approach. We are preparing integrations of HMRC manuals and are in discussions with professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Taxation, as well as exploring partnerships with content providers. The goal is that practitioners will see their specific needs reflected from the start, with authoritative content and professional standards embedded into the platform.
The idea is simple: if a practitioner in London asks about a VAT change, a self-assessment deadline or an R&D claim, plAIground gives the answer with the latest rules and with sources attached. That transparency is what builds trust in a system that is constantly evolving.
ITR: plAIground was originally focused on Germany, but it has ambitions to expand across Europe. What stage are you at now with marketing/selling plAIground globally?
Michel: Germany was in many ways the hardest test market we could imagine. The IT environment is monopolised, data protection is extremely strict and the profession is tightly regulated. If plAIground can succeed under those conditions, then we are confident it can succeed anywhere. That experience gave us not only technical validation but also credibility in dealing with regulators and professional bodies.
The UK is a different environment. Firms, even the smallest, are generally more used to working with cloud systems. That means adoption is in many ways easier. We already have several pilots running and we are adapting our onboarding and support to meet local needs.
The principle of our rollout is always the same: listen carefully to the market, understand what really matters in local practice, and then refine the platform so that it feels native. Expansion is not a matter of exporting a German product; it is about co-creating a UK solution with UK users.
ITR: What does the future hold for plAIground, and what else is WTS Digital working on?
Michel: The roadmap is ambitious and goes far beyond what we have already achieved. We are investing in advanced analytics, in AI-driven risk prediction and in multimodal agents that can handle text, numbers and documents in one workflow.
But the real story of plAIground is not the technology itself, it is how it changes the way professionals work. Instead of just using predefined tools, they design their own digital colleagues. That is what we call the ‘plAIground Moment’. It is similar to what happened when the iPhone came along: Apple did not simply make phones smarter, it rethought communication. In the same way, plAIground does not just make tax tools smarter, it rethinks collaboration.
In Germany, the platform has already shown that it can free up more than 1,500 hours per month by reducing routine tasks and that it enables even non-technical staff to build their own bots – over 500 within a few months, with 85% active use across staff.
For UK firms, the promise is the same, but the conditions are even more favourable. Here, the culture is more pragmatic, the market is more open, and the digital mindset is already strong. That combination makes me confident that plAIground will not only work in the UK but will very quickly become part of the daily workflow in practices and tax departments.
The future of tax advisory is not about replacing professionals, it is about enabling them to do what only they can do: listen to their clients, understand their business and create solutions. With plAIground, they will finally have the space and the tools to do exactly that.
