Goldman Sachs is so angry over a steep bonus surcharge being levied in London that it is vowing to move more than 1,000 highly paid employees to Spain.

Under new rules, Goldman would have to pay a 50-percent tax on any employee bonuses over about $40,000. The Wall Street firm says it already pays the British government the highest taxes of any financial-services firm — about $3.2 billion last year.

The relocation would put a major dent in Britain’s tax stream. Goldman employs about 5,000 people in the UK.

Barclays CEO John Varley said he might also shift some operations. “This is a global industry and talent is mobile.”

Other financial-services firms were said to be in talks with government officials over alternatives to the new tax.