If any UK students are still thinking of reclaiming VAT, tl;dr: Don't.
If you misunderstand that, ask yourself if you've considered the following:
1. Have you read anything about VAT regulations:
https://www.gov.uk/topic/business-tax/vat
2. Specifically, reclaiming VAT:
https://www.gov.uk/reclaim-vat . The very first line of which is this
You can usually reclaim the VAT paid on goods and services purchased for use in your business.
3. "Business" is a legal definition. You might wanna make sure you meet this.
https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business
https://www.gov.uk/working-for-yourself
Specifically, you must provide goods or services regularly for renumeration.
4. So, you're a business. In which case, which exact part of PPL(H) training relates to any of the goods or services you're selling? Oh wait, you're a PPL so can't actually "sell" anything, yet. But I'm sure you've already thought of a way of explaining this to a judge.
5. Two years later and you're a CPL(H) with a viable business and sales. You were aware of the time limits involved in reclaiming VAT right?
https://www.gov.uk/vat-registration/...e-registration
6. You're aware of the specific scheme any goods or services were sold to you under?
VAT Schemes Guide ? Alternative ways of accounting for tax
7. And retain invoices with required details?
https://www.gov.uk/vat-record-keeping/vat-invoices
8. You know the VAT rate of these, and are sure they're not excempt?
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-of...s-and-services
9. Even then, in most cases, you simply can't reclaim VAT on training for yourself.
https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-man...anual/bim35660
Now of course, if you already own a busisness for which putting an employee through a (H) training course is a viable expenditure, by all means go ahead. But if you can afford to pay for other people to train whilst employing them, you wouldn't be reading this.