Thanks for the replies and PM's, especially to smalfin.

It seems that I am too late to reclaim my VAT and get tax relief on my training costs via the setting up a company route as I finished my training 3 years ago and have been employed for almost 2 1/2 years now.

StraightLevel

Interesting thread, folks. I'm always interested in this stuff as I am going down the CPL/FI(R) route and will be self employed, most probably as a sole trader, but have very limited knowledge of how it all works.

I had largely written off being able to claim back very much at all due to the grey area surrounding the definition of being 'self-employed' when it is likely as an FI(R) the majority or work would be coming from once source, one flying school. It's difficult to offer full-time services to two different schools at the same time, even if that amount of work was even available! So, you are, by HMRC definition, an employee, but the school sees you as a contract pilot, you invoice them monthly, but the school pays no NI on your behalf as they don't see you as an employee.

So, it is perfectly reasonable for me, as a sole trader, to have different streams of income, from employed and self-employed sources? But what happens if only one of these sources is a flying school, on this so-called 'self-employed' basis, and the others are 'factory worker' (which would be as an employee) and another similar. Still my self-employed status as an FI is in question?

Is offering a few hours a month to another flying school as a groundschool instructor, for example, enough to satisfy HMRC that I have other income as a self-employed contract pilot?

I don't suppose there is anyone out there that can recommend an accountant that is familiar with aviation Limited Companies that provide services for various ATO/DTO/AOCs outside of IR35? I would appreciate any recommendations or private messages (if that is more appropriate) on the matter. It is regarding this thread (claiming training costs back) but completely different circumstances.

Thank you in advance

It depends on the country. Some countries any expenses related to work can be declared as such and get a discount while in other countries it won´t work. I´m talking here about the full cost of a type rating and not just to reclaim the VAT.