After nearly a decade-long legal battle, global pop star Shakira has finally won a major court victory in Spain. The Colombian singer has been fully cleared of tax fraud by Spain’s High Court, a decision that also orders Spanish tax authorities to pay her back over $70 million.
The court overturned a 55 million euro fine that the Spanish tax agency had slapped on Shakira back in 2021. The key reason behind the acquittal was that authorities failed to prove Shakira had lived in Spain for more than 183 days in 2011, the minimum requirement under Spanish law to be counted as a tax resident. Since that could not be proven, the court ruled the fine was unlawful.
Spain’s tax agency had originally argued that Shakira’s relationship with former FC Barcelona star Gerard Pique meant she was based in Spain. However, the court rejected that assumption, stating the fine was built on an unproven claim about her residency.
Shakira’s lawyer welcomed the ruling, saying it came after an eight-year ordeal that had been an unacceptable toll on his client. Shakira herself expressed hope that the ruling would protect ordinary citizens who are treated as guilty before being proven innocent.
However, the legal fight is not over yet. Tax authorities have announced they will appeal the decision at Spain’s Supreme Court, meaning the $70 million reimbursement will be put on hold for now.
It is worth noting that in 2023, Shakira had separately agreed to pay a fine of over 7.3 million euros in a different tax case covering the years 2012 to 2014.
