Tax‑haven image of Andorra is outdated, says tax lawyer
Romain Grau says the stereotype of Andorra as mainly a duty‑free, tax‑haven destination persists in France because of visible smuggling at border.
Key Points
- Many French still view Andorra as a tax haven and place for duty‑free shopping.
- Smuggling of tobacco and alcohol at sites like Pas de la Casa keeps the old narrative alive.
- Grau argues this overlooks Andorra’s structural and institutional economic reforms.
- He calls for stronger anti‑smuggling enforcement and clearer public communication about reforms.
“In France they still look at Andorra through the lenses of a tax haven, a place to buy tobacco or alcohol,” says Romain Grau, a lawyer who specialises in tax law. He describes that image as antiquated and not reflective of the country today.
Grau acknowledges that the popular stereotype persists, in part because of visible cross‑border activity at points such as Pas de la Casa, where smuggling of goods like tobacco and alcohol continues to be reported. Those incidents keep the old narrative alive in public perception on the French side of the border.
At the same time, he stresses that this portrayal does not match the broader reality of Andorra’s economy and regulatory environment. Grau argues that focusing only on duty‑free shopping or illicit trade overlooks the structural and institutional changes that have reshaped the principality in recent years.
The continued mismatch between image and reality, he warns, has practical consequences: it can influence policy debates, media coverage and everyday relations between border communities. Grau suggests that addressing the gap requires both effective enforcement against smuggling and clearer communication about the reforms and economic activities that define contemporary Andorra.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: