Jacqueline, I can't really add much more than the others but if you are:
- self employed and have a limited company
- can prove the training is related to your work, i.e. you're not just doing it for fun
Then you should be able to claim the training as a legitimate business expense and effectively not pay income tax.
To reclaim VAT you will need to be registered for VAT and not just the Flat Rate VAT scheme. Assuming you're a one man (sorry woman
) band you'll probably be on the Flat Rate scheme as it's normally more beneficial for day to day company use if you're not purchasing material/fuel/consumables etc. Speak to a chartered accountant and they should be able to advise.