It was a milestone day for Shakira on Monday, as the Colombian singer won an eight-year court battle with the Spanish tax agency.
Spain's High Court has acquitted the Hips Don't Lie singer, who was accused of tax fraud and fined 55 million euros ($64 million) in 2021 by the Spanish tax agency. The dispute dated back to the 2011 tax year.
© Getty ImagesAfter appealing the fine, Shakira was awarded a reimbursement of over 60 million euros, including interest, as the judge ruled authorities had failed to prove the singer had spent over a certain amount of time in Spain in 2011.
In order to prove someone is a tax resident, they have to spend over 183 days in the country, while authorities could only prove Shakira spent a total of 163 days.
What happened in Shakira's court case?
The Spanish tax agency raised a case that linked Shakira to Spain through her relationship with former Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué, whom she dated for 11 years after meeting on the set of her Waka Waka music video in 2010. The couple share two sons, Milan and Sasha, together, and split in June 2022.
© Getty ImagesHowever, the High Court ruled that the fines issued by the Spanish tax agency were unlawful because they were "based on the assumption that the appellant's tax residence was in Spain for the 2011 fiscal year, a fact which has not been proven".
The new ruling can still be appealed before the Supreme Court and does not affect tax years after 2011.
In response to the result, Shakira's lawyer, Jose Luis Prada, said in a statement: "This decision comes after an eight-year ordeal that has taken an unacceptable toll, reflecting a lack of rigour in administrative practice."
© Europa Press via Getty ImagesThe statement also expressed Shakira's hopes that the ruling would set a precedent for "thousands of ordinary citizens who are abused and crushed every day by a system that presumes them guilty and forces them to prove their innocence while facing financial and emotional ruin."
Speaking to Sky News, Shakira added that the result ended years of "brutal public targeting, orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation, and sleepless nights that ultimately impacted my health and my family's well-being".
Shakira's past tax troubles
This isn't the first time Shakira has been investigated over tax claims. In November 2023, she made a deal with prosecutors to avoid a trial in Barcelona over charges she failed to pay 14.5 million euros in income tax between the years of 2012 and 2014.
© Billboard via Getty ImagesAs a result, the singer accepted the charges and paid half the fine that was owed, which amounted to more than 7.3 million euros.
