Treasury
270 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 38.5%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-12-21 | Funds provided to DESC | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-12-13 | Childcare Strategy | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-11-29 | Manx reskill scheme | All information sent |
| 2023-11-22 | MDC drawdowns | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-11-01 | Rates rebates/discounts | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-09-27 | "Government" etc borrowings | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-09-21 | Child benefit thresholds | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-09-05 | Economic Strategy Fund | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-08-29 | Meeting with Go Green | Information not held |
| 2023-08-25 | Steam packet consultation fees/professional fees | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-08-24 | Manxman | Information not held |
| 2023-08-24 | Beny-my-Chree | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-08-15 | supplier payments via shared services | Information not held |
| 2023-08-15 | FOI requests #1595985 and #1731221 | All information sent |
| 2023-08-10 | Go Green | Information not held |
| 2023-07-25 | WHO Donations from IOM Gov | Information not held |
| 2023-07-19 | Earystane & Scards, Sulby & Druidale | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-07-18 | Pink Book Redactions - DESC Capital Expenditure | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-07-14 | Steam Packet purchase and costs | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-07-03 | Manx development corporation financial controls | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-06-29 | Funding of Manx Development Corporation | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-06-29 | Rates rebates/discounts | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-06-27 | Funds to the UK | Information not held |
| 2023-06-26 | Number of fines issued to individuals below tax earning threshold | All information sent |
| 2023-06-06 | Info request | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-06-01 | Wills Act 1985 section 27(2) | Information not held |
| 2023-05-09 | KMPG Additional work requests | All information sent |
| 2023-05-02 | Fraudulent Legal aid applications | All information sent |
| 2023-04-24 | Income Tax return submissions | All information sent |
| 2023-03-30 | Isle of Man Budget 2023-24 | Information not held |
| 2023-03-24 | Outstanding Rates of £3 million | All information sent |
| 2023-03-20 | Benefit Fraud & Error | All information sent |
| 2023-03-08 | Section 13, Rating and Valuation Act 1953 | Request lapsed - requested information not provided |
| 2023-03-02 | Revenue Budget - Financial Plans (2) | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-03-02 | Revenue Budget - Financial Plans (3) | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-02-17 | Revenue Budget 'Financial Plans' - August 2022 | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-02-15 | Breaches to Financial Regulations | Some information sent but part exempt |
| 2023-02-08 | Where does the vehicle tax money go | Information not held |
| 2023-01-31 | Child Benefit Payments | Not required to fulfill request |
| 2023-01-26 | contrary interest | All information sent |
| 2023-01-26 | legal aid property value uprating | Information not held |
| 2023-01-24 | legal aid meta data | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-01-18 | Defence Costs | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-01-17 | legal aid annual joint consultative committee meetings | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-01-17 | legal aid case management system | Information not held |
| 2022-12-15 | Income sources of tax resident individuals | All information sent |
| 2022-11-25 | Number of adults on DLA | All information sent |
| 2022-11-14 | Internet cameras | Information not held |
| 2022-11-09 | Receipt of carers allowance for those in receipt of care under 18 | Upheld - full |
| 2022-11-01 | Disability Living allowance | All information sent |