Treasury
28 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 371.4%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Isle of Man Treasury reveal an authority that is highly transparent regarding aggregate financial data but increasingly protective of operational details and specific contractual arrangements. The most striking disclosures concern the 'Aircraft VAT Refund' scheme, where the Treasury confirmed over £300 million in refunds between 2016 and 2019 before the practice ceased entirely (Cases 679571, 1121225, 2695289). Similarly, the Treasury has been open about systemic administrative challenges, admitting to a backlog of over 7,000 unassessed tax returns due to staffing shortages (Case 1178052) and providing detailed breakdowns of high-profile expenditures like the Manx Care CEO office (Case 4159610). However, a pattern of obstruction emerges in requests concerning legal aid and investment specifics. The Treasury has moved from providing aggregated legal aid costs to refusing to confirm or deny specific payments (Case 3851581) and labeling persistent inquiries as 'vexatious' (Case 4004962). Furthermore, while the Treasury discloses high-level asset allocations, it consistently withholds detailed pension fund holdings and consultancy billable hours, citing commercial sensitivity and ongoing tender processes (Cases 823766, 2592433). This suggests a government that welcomes public scrutiny of its bottom line but resists deep dives into the mechanics of its decision-making and specific vendor relationships.
Key Cases
Case 679571 — Discloses a staggering £253 million in VAT refunds for 68 aircraft between 2016-2018, revealing the scale of a specific tax incentive scheme that has since vanished from the records.
Case 4159610 — Provides a full breakdown of the £27.8 million expenditure by the Manx Care CEO office, a significant disclosure regarding healthcare leadership costs that was previously opaque.
Case 1178052 — Explicitly links a backlog of 7,424 unassessed tax returns to staffing shortages, offering a rare internal admission of administrative failure affecting revenue collection.
Case 4004962 — Marks a shift in the Treasury's approach to transparency, where a request for legal aid data was classified as 'vexatious' due to the frequency of correspondence, effectively blocking further scrutiny on that topic.
Case 2249733 — Directly addresses corruption concerns by confirming that no Covid-19 Salary Support Scheme payments were made to businesses linked to former Chief Minister Howard Quayle, providing a clear 'all clear' on a high-profile allegation.
Related FOI Stories
Aircraft VAT Refund Scheme — #679571, #1121225, #1651945, #2695289
Legal Aid Expenditure and Administration — #356063, #356067, #356065, #2541489, #2594293
Pension Fund Investments and Ethics — #433135, #823766, #847165, #1037461, #1558209
Tax Arrears and Collection Efficiency — #654168, #684267, #688567, #1178052, #1193049
Strategic Consultancy and 'Our Big Picture' — #2592433, #2594494, #2306897
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-07 | Immergration | Information not held |
| The requester asked for statistics on illegal immigration to the Isle of Man via boats and planes from 2023 to the present, but the Treasury refused the request stating the information is not held. | ||
| 2025-02-11 | Lost income tax revenue | Information not held |
| The requester asked for estimates of income tax revenue lost since 2011 due to the abolition of the Attribution Regime for Individuals. The Treasury responded that it does not hold this information as no such estimates are collected or reviewed following the regime's abolition. | ||
| 2024-07-16 | legal aid review response recommendation 4(c) | Information not held |
| The requester asked for documents and correspondence regarding the implementation of Legal Aid review recommendation 4(c), including copyright considerations and engagement with courts. The Treasury responded that the information is not held because work on the recommendations has not yet commenced. | ||
| 2024-07-16 | legal aid review response recommendation 18 | Information not held |
| The requester asked the Treasury for information regarding engagement with the Isle of Man Law Society on pro bono legal schemes following a 2013 court recommendation. The Treasury responded that the information is not held because work on the Legal Aid review recommendations has not yet commenced. | ||
| 2024-07-16 | legal aid review response recommendation 26 | Information not held |
| The applicant requested documents regarding the Statutory Charge scope review and Legal Aid recommendation 26, including emails and meeting minutes from August 2022. The Treasury responded that the information is not held because work on the review recommendations has not yet commenced. | ||
| 2023-08-29 | Meeting with Go Green | Information not held |
| 2023-08-24 | Manxman | Information not held |
| 2023-08-15 | supplier payments via shared services | Information not held |
| 2023-08-10 | Go Green | Information not held |
| 2023-07-25 | WHO Donations from IOM Gov | Information not held |
| 2023-06-27 | Funds to the UK | Information not held |
| 2023-06-01 | Wills Act 1985 section 27(2) | Information not held |
| 2023-03-30 | Isle of Man Budget 2023-24 | Information not held |
| 2023-02-08 | Where does the vehicle tax money go | Information not held |
| 2023-01-26 | legal aid property value uprating | Information not held |
| 2023-01-17 | legal aid case management system | Information not held |
| 2022-11-14 | Internet cameras | Information not held |
| 2022-07-19 | employment practices liability insurance | Information not held |
| A request was made for information regarding quotes, brokers, and refusals related to employment practices liability insurance for the Isle of Man public sector. The Treasury responded that no information was held as no quotes were sought or received, and no documentation exists regarding the consideration of such cover. | ||
| 2020-03-09 | How much is received from road tax licenses | Information not held |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Treasury for information on revenue received from road tax licenses. The Treasury refused the request stating they do not hold the information and advised the applicant to contact the Department of Infrastructure instead. | ||
| 2019-06-14 | Changes to Employed Person's Allowance. | Information not held |
| A request for information regarding social impact assessments and specific cost calculations for changes to the Employed Person's Allowance was largely refused because the Treasury does not hold the requested data, though a financial impact assessment overview was provided. | ||
| 2018-11-08 | MACCS registration | Information not held |
| The requester asked for formal documentation outlining an agreement between the Treasury and MACCS regarding accreditation requirements for non-construction works. The Treasury responded that it does not hold any such agreement or formal documentation, citing a practical refusal under the Freedom of Information Act 2015. | ||
| 2018-07-24 | Request employers, by size (number of employees) and sector 03/17 | Information not held |
| The requester asked the Isle of Man Treasury for historical data on employer numbers by size and sector for March 2015, 2016, and 2017 to aid business development. The Treasury refused the request, stating they do not hold the information in the required format and that compiling it would require creating or analyzing data, which is not mandated under the Freedom of Information Act. | ||
| 2017-12-04 | Vehicle Licencing income | Information not held |
| A request for total vehicle licensing income for the last two years was made to the Treasury, which refused to provide the information stating it is not held by them. The Treasury advised the requester to submit the request to the Department of Infrastructure instead. | ||
| 2017-10-31 | Tax Cap | Information not held |
| 2017-10-13 | First Time Buyers Kirk Michael | Information not held |
| 2017-07-05 | Cost of Guests - Tynwald Day | Information not held |
| 2017-05-01 | Public Sector Pensions | Information not held |
| 2017-03-05 | Vehicle Tax | Information not held |