Shakira Cleared in Spanish Tax Fraud Case After Years of Legal Battle
A Spanish court has acquitted international pop star Shakira of tax fraud relating to the 2011 tax year, ruling that authorities failed to prove she was a tax resident in Spain. The court has also ordered the Spanish tax authority to refund more than €55 million (£48 million) in penalties and payments.
Colombian singer Shakira has been cleared of tax fraud by Spain’s High Court after judges ruled that prosecutors did not prove she met the legal requirements to be considered a tax resident in the country during 2011.
The decision brings an end to a long-running legal dispute that has lasted more than eight years and centred on whether the global music star spent enough time living in Spain to be taxed on her worldwide income.
Under Spanish tax law, individuals are considered residents if they spend more than 183 days in the country within a calendar year. However, the court found that Shakira spent only 163 days in Spain in 2011, meaning she fell below the threshold required for tax residency.
As a result of the ruling, the court annulled previous tax assessments and fines issued by Spain’s tax authority and ordered the Treasury to return more than €55 million (£48 million), including interest.
The case was part of a wider dispute in which Spanish authorities had argued that Shakira should be considered a resident due to her personal and professional links to the country at the time, including her relationship with former footballer Gerard Piqué. However, the court rejected this argument, stating that the evidence was insufficient to establish tax residency.
In her response to the ruling, Shakira said the decision marked the end of a “long ordeal” and insisted she had always maintained her innocence. She claimed she had been unfairly targeted and that there had “never been any fraud,” according to statements reported by media outlets covering the case.
The ruling specifically applies to the 2011 tax year and does not affect other legal matters involving the singer. In 2023, Shakira separately agreed to settle a different Spanish tax case covering 2012 to 2014, paying a fine and avoiding a trial in that matter.
Spain’s tax agency is expected to consider whether to appeal the High Court’s decision to the Supreme Court, meaning the legal process may not be fully concluded.
Shakira, one of the world’s most successful Latin music artists, has continued her global music career throughout the legal proceedings, performing internationally and releasing new material while the case was ongoing.
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