Singer Shakira is celebrating after a Spanish court ruled in her favor in a long-running tax dispute, ordering authorities to refund more than 55 million euros. The National Audience court determined that tax officials incorrectly classified the Colombian pop star as a Spanish tax resident in 2011.
Court Ruling Details
According to the ruling issued on Monday, May 18, and seen by AFP, tax authorities failed to prove that Shakira spent more than 183 days in Spain during 2011, which is the legal threshold for personal income tax residency. The court found that Shakira spent only 163 days in Spain that year and concluded that authorities did not demonstrate that the country was the center of her economic interests at the time.
The decision requires Spain's tax agency to return all amounts paid by the singer, along with legal interest, effectively overturning millions of euros in penalties and tax adjustments. The total repayment reportedly includes approximately 24 million euros in income tax payments, nearly 25 million euros in fines linked to what authorities had described as a very serious offense, as well as accumulated interest.
Shakira's Reaction
Reacting to the judgment, Shakira said the court had finally set the record straight after years of scrutiny and legal battles. The singer accused authorities of subjecting her to brutal public exposure, orchestrated campaigns to destroy her reputation, and sleepless nights that ultimately affected her health and her family's wellbeing.
Every step of the process was leaked, distorted, and amplified, using her name and public image to send a threatening message to other taxpayers, she added in a statement sent to AFP. Today, that narrative falls apart.
The ruling comes as the 49-year-old singer prepares to conclude her Women Don't Cry Anymore world tour with a concert residency in Madrid beginning in September.
Background
Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, previously lived in Barcelona with former partner Gerard Pique for more than a decade before the couple separated in 2022. The singer later relocated to Miami with their two sons.
Spanish authorities had previously accused Shakira of defrauding the tax office of 14.5 million euros between 2012 and 2014 by allegedly failing to declare income earned while living in Spain. In 2023, she reached a separate settlement with prosecutors to avoid trial, accepting the charges and agreeing to pay a fine of nearly 7.8 million euros.
During investigations, Spain's tax agency reportedly examined her social media posts and interviewed witnesses including neighbors and her hairdresser in an attempt to prove she spent enough time in the country to qualify as a tax resident. Shakira later described the investigation as an Inquisition trial, accusing authorities of being more interested in burning her in public than considering her defense.
Spain has pursued several high-profile tax cases against celebrities and footballers in recent years, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom were convicted of tax evasion and received suspended prison sentences as first-time offenders.
