A Spanish court has ordered the country’s tax authority to refund Colombian pop star Shakira more than €55 million ($64 million) in taxes and penalties improperly collected over her 2011 tax filings.
According to a ruling by Spain’s National Court, seen on Monday, tax authorities failed to prove that the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer spent more than 183 days in Spain in 2011 — the legal threshold required for an individual to be classified as a tax resident.
“On the contrary, the court found that Shakira spent 163 days in Spain and that the tax authorities had therefore failed to prove that the singer had the centre of her economic interests in Spain,” the ruling stated.
The court ordered Spain’s tax agency to refund all amounts paid by the singer, including legal interest, effectively overturning multimillion-euro tax adjustments and penalties previously imposed on her.
In a statement sent to AFP, Shakira welcomed the ruling, saying the court had “finally set the record straight” after years of what she described as “brutal public exposure” and attempts to damage her reputation.
“Every step of the process was leaked, distorted, and amplified, using my name and public image to send a threatening message to other taxpayers. Today, that narrative falls apart,” she said.
The refund reportedly includes nearly €24 million in income tax payments, about €25 million in penalties tied to what authorities had labelled a “very serious” tax infringement, as well as accumulated interest.
Other tax disputes
The ruling comes as the 49-year-old singer prepares to conclude her record-breaking “Women Don’t Cry Anymore” world tour with a concert residency in Madrid beginning in September.
Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, lived in Barcelona for more than a decade with former Gerard Piqué before the couple separated in 2022.
The singer later relocated to Miami with their two sons.
Shakira and Piqué reportedly met during the filming of “Waka Waka,” the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
She has consistently maintained that she only established permanent residence in Barcelona at the end of 2014 and formally transferred her tax residency from the Bahamas to Spain in 2015.
The case is one of several disputes involving the singer and Spanish tax authorities.
Spanish prosecutors had previously accused Shakira of failing to pay €14.5 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014, alleging that she spent more than 183 days annually in Spain during that period.
In 2023, the singer reached a settlement with prosecutors to avoid trial, accepting the charges and agreeing to pay a fine of nearly €7.8 million.
Spanish tax investigators reportedly examined her social media activity and interviewed numerous witnesses — including neighbours and personal staff — to support claims that she resided in Spain for most of the year.
In a 2024 letter published by Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Shakira likened the investigation to an “Inquisition trial,” accusing authorities of being more interested in “burning her in public” than considering her defence.
Spain has in recent years pursued several high-profile tax evasion cases involving football stars, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom were convicted and handed suspended prison sentences as first-time offenders.
