Tiësto wins €17 million in tax fraud lawsuit

Amsterdam court rules Greenberg Traurig law firm liable for providing faulty tax guidance to Tiësto.

Tiësto has been awarded €17 million (approximately $20 million USD) by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal after judges ruled that international law firm Greenberg Traurig provided faulty legal advice regarding his US taxes.

The court’s recent lawsuit ruling follows a long-running legal battle related to Tiësto’s former tax adviser, Frank Butselaar, who is currently serving a 30-month prison sentence in the US for tax fraud. This situation has drawn attention to Butselaar’s criminal conviction, which found him guilty of filing a false tax return for Tiësto when he worked at Greenberg Taurig from 2005 to 2014.

This particular case derived from tax filings related to the internationally acclaimed artist’s earnings in 2012. According to legal court records, Tiësto (Tjis Verwest) was incorrectly advised on the amount of taxes he owed to the US government for the year his time spent in the country exceeded the threshold for tax residency.

In light of this, Tiësto qualified as a US resident for tax purposes and was required to pay significantly more than he was initially advised. This discrepancy was discovered in 2018, six years after the initial filing, when the IRS determined that Verwest had underpaid his taxes. He was ordered to pay the additional amount owed, along with penalty fees, creating major financial ramifications.

Tiësto decided to take this matter into his hands, arguing that this mistake was the result of negligent guidance from Butselaar. In 2024, he filed an official complaint seeking compensation for the financial damage caused by the firm’s inaccurate legal counsel.

The cards turned out to be in Tiësto’s favor, with the Amsterdam Court of Appeal siding with him and concluding that the law firm had wrongfully advised him on his tax obligations and was financially responsible for this malpractice. The €17 million amount awarded was intended to compensate for the extra tax cost, penalties, and related losses following the firm’s wrongdoing.

Featured image courtesy of Jordan Loyd

About The Author

Maria Marcano

Just a Venezuelan gal that grew up in Fort Lauderdale chasing her dreams. I’ve been in love with electronic dance music for as long as I can remember, and it has become both a passion and a form of inspiration in every aspect of my life. I’ve been with Exron since it was founded in 2017 and have had the privilege to support and work alongside some of my best friends. Some of my favorite artists are ODESZA, Kaskasde, Above & Beyond, Glass Animals, and Rüfüs Du Sol to name a few. Traveling all over the world to attend festivals is one of my favorite pastimes, and Electric Forest, Ultra Music Festival, and Tomorrowland have been an absolute dream to experience.

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