A Spanish court has acquitted Shakira in a tax fraud case, ordering the government to return over 55 million euros (approximately $64 million) in wrongly imposed fines. The decision follows years of tax disputes involving the Colombian superstar.
The ruling pertains to the 2011 tax year, during which Spanish tax authorities were unable to prove that Shakira was a resident of Spain. To be considered a tax resident in Spain, an individual must spend more than 183 days within the country.
According to the Madrid-based court, Spanish authorities only demonstrated that Shakira spent 163 days in Spain during that year. The court ordered the Treasury to reimburse the singer for the tax paid plus interest.
Shakira stated in a statement provided by her lawyers: “There was never any fraud, and the Tax Agency itself was never able to prove otherwise, simply because it wasn’t true.”
Shakira’s lawyer, José Luís Prada, reported that Spain’s Treasury is to reimburse the singer 60 million euros (approximately $70 million), including interest. The resolution comes after an eight-year ordeal described by Prada as having “taken an unacceptable toll, reflecting a lack of rigor in administrative practices.”
The court ruling also notes that Spanish tax authorities have over the past decade targeted soccer stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for alleged tax evasion. Those players were found guilty but avoided prison sentences due to a provision allowing judges to waive penalties under two years for first-time offenders.
