Else Beekman
International law firm Amsterdam & Partners is intensifying its legal battle campaign against Spain’s tax authority, the Agencia Tributaria, with plans for a media offensive focused on Andalucia.
The firm, led by high-profile lawyer Robert Amsterdam, has already stirred controversy with eye-catching advertisements in global outlets such as the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Le Soir.
The upcoming campaign, expected to launch later this month, will target regional media in Andalucia, home to Spain’s Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero. The message is blunt: “Montero os roba” (“Montero is robbing you”). The firm hopes this direct approach will encourage more (foreign) residents and investors to come forward with complaints.
Amsterdam himself is due to travel to the region in the coming days, accompanied by a team of fifteen lawyers, in response to what the firm says is a growing number of grievances from foreign residents—many of whom settled along the Costa del Sol.
The law firm’s strategy includes the possibility of legal action at multiple levels, from domestic litigation to complaints before the European Court of Justice. The group has indicated it is preparing collective lawsuits on behalf of international clients who claim Spanish tax inspectors have unfairly targeted them.
“Pickpockets in Spain”
Amsterdam & Partners attracted attention last year with a high-impact advert in the Financial Times referring to Spanish tax officials as “pickpockets”. A similar message ran in the Wall Street Journal, warning international investors: “Caution. Spanish pickpockets operating in this area.”
According to the firm, the campaign has prompted hundreds of potential clients to get in touch. The promotional material reads: “You moved to Spain based on a promise. Then they changed the rules.”
In early May, the firm released a report titled Hacienda against the People: Spain and the Beckham Law, co-authored by Amsterdam and Christopher Wales, a former adviser to the UK Treasury under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The report criticises the Spanish tax authority’s treatment of individuals under the so-called ‘Beckham Law’, which offers tax incentives to foreign workers. Some clients claim they have been unfairly penalised despite adhering to the scheme.
One British businessman reportedly plans to back legal action rather than pay what he views as an unjustified fine. Amsterdam says this case is not unique.
Targeted by Spain’s tax authority? New report sparks alarm
Allegations of politically motivated audits
Amsterdam has also raised concerns about politically motivated tax inspections, citing, as an example, the case of the partner of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid. “We’ve had people tell us: if I work with you, I’ll be audited. My firm can’t afford that,” said Amsterdam. “I’ve never seen fear like this among Spanish professionals.”
Another issue the firm is targeting in its legal battle is the system of performance-based bonuses for tax inspectors, which it compares to practices in Russia. “Imagine if judges were paid more for each conviction,” Amsterdam remarked. “Or worse, police officers. It’s unthinkable.”
Amsterdam & Partners’ expanded campaign aims to spark public debate about the fairness and transparency of Spain’s tax enforcement system, particularly as it affects international residents and investors.