A Spanish court has ordered authorities to refund more than €55 million to Shakira after ruling that tax officials wrongly classified the pop star as a Spanish tax resident in 2011.
According to a ruling issued by Spain’s National Audience and seen by AFP on Monday, May 18, tax authorities failed to prove that the singer spent more than 183 days in Spain during the year in question, the legal threshold required for personal income tax residency.
The court stated that Shakira spent only 163 days in Spain in 2011 and concluded that authorities had not demonstrated that the country was the centre of her economic interests at the time. The decision requires Spain’s tax agency to return all amounts paid by the singer, along with legal interest, effectively overturning millions of euros in penalties and tax adjustments.
The total repayment reportedly includes around €24 million in income tax payments, nearly €25 million in fines linked to what authorities had described as a “very serious” offence, as well as accumulated interest.
Reacting to the judgment, Shakira said the court had “finally set the record straight” after years of scrutiny and legal battles. The singer accused authorities of subjecting her to “brutal public exposure, orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation, and sleepless nights that ultimately affected my health and my family’s wellbeing.”
“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 added in a statement sent to AFP. The ruling comes as the 49-year-old singer prepares to conclude her “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, previously lived in Barcelona with former Gerard Piqué for more than a decade before the couple separated in 2022. The singer later relocated to Miami with their two sons.
Spanish authorities had previously accused Shakira of defrauding the tax office of €14.5 million between 2012 and 2014 by allegedly failing to declare income earned while living in Spain. In 2023, she reached a separate settlement with prosecutors to avoid trial, accepting the charges and agreeing to pay a fine of nearly €7.8 million.
During investigations, Spain’s tax agency reportedly examined her social media posts and interviewed witnesses including neighbours and her hairdresser in an attempt to prove she spent enough time in the country to qualify as a tax resident.
Shakira later described the investigation as an “Inquisition trial,” accusing authorities of being more interested in “burning her in public” than considering her defence.
Spain has pursued several high-profile tax cases against celebrities and footballers in recent years, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom were convicted of tax evasion and received suspended prison sentences as first-time offenders.