Court rules in Shakira’s favor

A Spanish court has ruled in favor of Shakira in a long-running dispute with Spain’s tax authorities over her 2011 taxes. The court found that officials failed to prove the singer lived in Spain for more than 183 days that year — the threshold required for someone to be considered a Spanish tax resident.

As a result of the ruling, Spanish tax authorities must return more than €60 million to the singer. The amount includes previous tax settlements, penalties, and accumulated interest.

The court accepted evidence showing that Shakira spent much of 2011 outside Spain because of international work commitments, including a major world tour. This contradicted the government’s claim that her main residence and economic interests were already based in Spain at the time.

In a statement released after the decision, the singer said there had “never been any fraud” and criticized what she described as years of public and legal pressure. She argued that the authorities had treated her as guilty despite lacking proof.

The ruling only concerns the 2011 tax year. It does not affect a separate 2023 agreement in which Shakira settled another tax fraud case involving the years 2012 to 2014. In that case, she accepted a fine to avoid a possible prison sentence.

Spanish prosecutors may still appeal the latest ruling before the country’s Supreme Court.