Published 2 hours ago • loading... • Updated 19 minutes ago
Colombian singer Shakira acquitted of tax fraud in Spain
The court said authorities failed to prove she was a Spanish tax resident in 2011 and ordered repayment of more than 55 million euros in fines and interest.
On Monday, a High Court acquitted Colombian pop star Shakira of 2011 tax fraud, ordering the Treasury to return more than 55 million euros in wrongly imposed fines and interest.
Spanish authorities failed to prove Shakira spent more than 183 days in Spain in 2011; the court found she lived there only 163 days, below the legal tax residency threshold.
The High Court ruled the fines unlawful, stating they were "based on the assumption that the appellant's tax residence was in Spain for the 2011 fiscal year, a fact which has not been proven."
Shakira's lawyer, Jose Luis Prada, called the decision an end to an eight-year ordeal, while the singer hopes the ruling sets a precedent protecting ordinary citizens from systems that presume guilt.
The ruling can still be appealed to the Supreme Court and does not affect Shakira's November 2023 settlement over 2012–2014 taxes, while Spain continues cracking down on soccer stars like Lionel Messi for evasion.
A Spanish high court has acquitted Colombian singer Shakira of charges of multi-million-euro tax evasion, ordering the Ministry of Finance to reimburse her more than 60 million euros in taxes, fines and interest.