Colombian singer Shakira acquitted of tax fraud in Spain
The court said tax authorities failed to prove she was a Spanish resident in 2011 and ordered repayment of more than 55 million euros.
- 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.
170 Articles
170 Articles
Shakira could recover €60 million from Spain
After years of legal fights, court hearings and endless headlines in Spain, Shakira has finally scored a major victory against the Spanish tax authorities. Spain’s National Court has ruled that the Colombian singer did not commit tax fraud linked to her 2011 world tour and that she was not officially living in Spain during the period being investigated. The decision means the tax agency may now… Source
‘I have the right to behave badly to have a good time’... The Colombian singer Skakira celebrated on Monday, May 18, that Spanish justice acknowledged that “never” committed fiscal fraud with her 2011 income and regretted the public statement and that she was treated “as guilty” until this year. “The Spanish administration itself could never prove otherwise, simply because it was not true,” Shakira said in statements sent to the media by her leg…
Shakira Is Found Not Guilty of Tax Fraud in Spain
A Spanish court ruled that the pop star was not a tax resident of Spain in 2011 and ordered the country’s tax authorities to return tens of millions of dollars to her. Source link : https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/world/europe/shakira-tax-fraud-spain.html Author : Claire Moses and Carlos Barragán Publish date : 2026-05-18 14:38:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the [...]
Spanish court orders tax authority to repay Shakira $64 million over wrongful fines
Spain’s tax authority has been ordered to repay Colombian superstar Shakira more than 55 million euros ($64 million) after a court in Madrid ruled that it had mistakenly pursued her for unpaid taxes.
The court has ruled in the singer's case. Shakira can get back more than 60 million euros from the Spanish tax authorities.
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