International Lawyer Robert Amsterdam Issues Urgent Warning for U.S. Investors, Businesses, and Government Over Spain's Tax Abuses

U.S. Edition of "Hacienda vs. The People" White Paper Highlights How Spanish Tax Authority Transforms Foreign Investment Incentive into Revenue Extraction Scheme

NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- International lawyer Robert Amsterdam, Founder and Managing Partner of Amsterdam & Partners LLP, today announced the U.S. release of "Hacienda vs. The People," a comprehensive investigation exposing how Spain's Tax Authority has perverted the country's Impatriate tax regime—the "Beckham Law"—into a systematic trap targeting foreign professionals, including many Americans. He was joined by Lawrence Hill, a Partner who heads Steptoe's tax controversy practice, and renowned defense attorney Marc Agnifilo, Founding Partner of Agnifilo Intrater LLP.

During a press conference launching the white paper held in New York City today, Mr. Amsterdam also revealed a letter sent to the U.S. Department of Treasury by Amsterdam & Partners on October 29^th, 2025. The letter details Spain's ongoing use of servers provided by the Chinese state-owned company Huawei as a risk to U.S. taxpayer data, given that it is shared with Hacienda by the Internal Revenue Service, and requests that the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service ensure that the confidentiality provisions of the U.S.-Spain Treaty are being adhered to.

These concerns are further supported by a series of findings outlined in the white paper, which can be downloaded at www.spanishtaxpickpockets.com. The white paper reveals a classic bait-and-switch operation in which Spain lures foreign talent by offering official certificates guaranteeing favorable tax treatment, then retroactively denies the legitimacy of those same certificates to impose tax bills up to ten times higher than originally expected. The Spanish Tax Authority, which goes by the acronym AEAT and is commonly referred to as "Hacienda," entices American businesses to set up shop in the country through desirable tax credits and incentives, then unfairly taxes the workers of those companies in perpetuity, long after their tenure in Spain has concluded.

"Spain attracts the best and brightest minds from innovative global companies, awards these professionals with certificates confirming their Beckham Law status, and then does an abrupt about-face by claiming the certificates are meaningless," said Mr. Amsterdam. "Spain hasn't passed a new national budget since 2022 and is using the Spanish Tax Authority to shore up the country's finances by incentivizing tax collectors through a shady bonus system. It's not only unethical, but illegal in our view. This systematic extortion is destroying Spain's reputation abroad, particularly when it comes to American business interests."

Central to the abuse is AEAT's internal bonus system rewarding inspectors for revenue collection, transforming tax enforcement into profit-driven persecution. Inspectors receive performance bonuses tied to sanctions and collections—bonuses they keep even after losing cases in court. Furthermore, Spain's "pay-to-appeal" system forces taxpayers to pay disputed amounts before appeals can be heard, effectively denying justice to all but the wealthiest victims.

The report documents multiple victim cases, including Lars, a Swedish entrepreneur who received official Beckham Law confirmation, filed all returns, paid all taxes, yet faces over €1 million in retroactive demands after a transaction explicitly exempt under the law.

About Amsterdam & Partners LLP

Amsterdam & Partners LLP is an international law firm based in London and Washington, D.C., specializing in complex international disputes, advocacy, and geopolitics. For more information about the firm, please visit www.amsterdamandpartners.com.

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