The following is an English translation of an article published in El Independiente:
Half a thousand Spanish citizens have contacted American lawyer Robert Amsterdam following the launch of his campaign against the “abuses” of the Tax Agency. The lawyer, known for his international litigation in defense of human rights and civil liberties, claims to have received an avalanche of testimonies from self-employed workers and taxpayers denouncing arbitrary and disproportionate practices by the Spanish tax authorities.
“Since we launched the initiative against the tax authorities, hundreds of self-employed workers and taxpayers have written and called us to complain about exactly what we’re denouncing. It’s outrageous that an organ of a constitutional state treats its citizens in this way,” Amsterdam told El Independiente . “It’s the only case I know of anywhere in the world. The tax authorities are persecuting their own citizens and preventing small businesses, which are the backbone of Spain, from growing.”
According to sources at the firm, the lawyer is currently gathering testimonies from those affected, as he believes they are valuable in supporting his arguments and the legal actions he is preparing in various courts, both in Spain and internationally.
The international law firm Amsterdam & Partners LLP has been calling on the Spanish government to act “immediately” to curb what it considers to be “systematic abuses” by the Tax Agency, especially against foreign taxpayers benefiting from the so-called Beckham Law . In a report entitled “The Treasury against the People: Spain and the Beckham Law,” presented in Madrid last May, the firm warned of a “climate of fear and intimidation unbecoming of a democracy” and of “violations of fundamental rights” by the Treasury.
“The report accuses the Tax Agency of systematic violations of the rule of law. A climate of fear and intimidation has been created, completely unbecoming of a democratic country. The testimonies we have gathered have been absolutely scandalous,” Amsterdam stated. “We have spoken with people whose rights have been violated and their lives ruined by a tax agency that acts with complete impunity.”
According to the firm, the Treasury is launching tax audits years after the affected individuals received official certificates under the Impatriates Law , passed in 2003 to attract international talent through tax incentives. This regime allows highly qualified foreigners to pay taxes only on income generated in Spain at a flat rate of 24%, exempting income earned abroad.
However, the American lawyer maintains that the Tax Agency is using this regulation retroactively, with devastating consequences for thousands of taxpayers, particularly small businesses and self-employed individuals who report being stifled by legal uncertainty.