Shakira Wins €60 Million Tax Battle in Spain After Court Ruling
Shakira has secured a major victory in her long-standing tax dispute in Spain, with a court ruling that she is entitled to a €60 million refund.
Spain’s National High Court has ruled in favor of Shakira, stating that the country’s tax authorities failed to adequately prove she spent the requisite 183 days in Spain during 2011 to be liable for personal income tax.
This ruling entitles Shakira to a refund of €60 million (approximately $64 million), which includes taxes, fines, and accrued interest.
In a statement shared with Rolling Stone, Shakira expressed relief and vindication: “After more than eight years of enduring brutal public targeting, orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation, and sleepless nights that ultimately impacted my health and my family’s well-being, the National High Court has finally set the record straight. There was never any fraud, and the Administration itself could never prove otherwise, simply because it wasn’t true.”
Spanish authorities had attempted to establish Shakira's residency through her relationship with soccer star Gerard Piqué, which began in 2010, however, the court determined that their relationship did not constitute a marriage for tax purposes. The court also found that the tax authority had not sufficiently demonstrated that Spain was the primary base for Shakira's business activities in 2011.
The court substantiated that Shakira spent only 163 days in Spain during the year in question, further supporting her defense that she was largely on tour, performing 120 concerts across the globe.
Despite this victory, the Spanish tax authority has indicated its intention to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, delaying any immediate payment to Shakira.
Shakira emphasized the significance of the ruling, criticizing her treatment throughout the legal process: “Every step of the process was leaked, distorted, and amplified, using my name and public image to send a threatening message to the rest of the taxpayers,” she stated.
“Today, that narrative crumbles, and it does so with the full force of a court ruling. My greatest wish is that this ruling sets a precedent for the Treasury and serves the thousands of ordinary citizens who are abused and crushed every day by a system that presumes their guilt and forces them to prove their innocence at the cost of economic and emotional ruin. This victory is dedicated to them.”
This isn't the only tax-related legal issue Shakira has faced in Spain. In 2023, she settled a separate fraud case, accepting a three-year suspended sentence and a €7 million fine, just before the trial was scheduled to commence. That case involved allegations of failing to pay €14.5 million in income taxes between 2012 and 2014. Furthermore, another investigation into alleged tax fraud from 2018 was opened in July 2023, but investigators ruled in May 2024 that there was not sufficient evidence to bring additional charges.
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