Shakira wins €55 million tax refund in Spain case

A Spanish court has ordered the tax authorities to refund Colombian pop star Shakira more than 55 million euros ($64 million) that were improperly collected in a dispute over her 2011 taxes, according to a ruling seen on Monday, News.Az reports, citing AFP.

The National Audience said tax authorities failed to prove that the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer spent more than 183 days in Spain in 2011—the legal threshold for being considered a tax resident required to pay personal income tax in the country.

“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 issued last month stated.

The court ordered Spain’s tax agency to return all amounts paid, plus legal interest, effectively cancelling multimillion-euro penalties and adjustments that had classified Shakira as a Spanish tax resident for that year.

Shakira welcomed the ruling, saying the court had “finally set the record straight” after years of “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 total repayment exceeds 55 million euros and includes about 24 million euros in income tax, nearly 25 million euros in fines for what authorities had described as a “very serious” infringement, plus interest.

The ruling comes as Shakira, 49, is set to conclude her record-breaking “Women Don’t Cry Anymore” world tour with a concert residency in Madrid starting in September.

Shakira lived with former FC Barcelona and Spain footballer Gerard Piqué for more than a decade before the couple separated in 2022.

The singer moved to Miami with their two sons after the split.

Shakira reportedly met Piqué while filming the music video for “Waka Waka,” the official song of the 2010 World Cup, which featured several football players.

She has maintained that she established her permanent residence in Barcelona at the end of 2014 and later transferred her tax residency from the Bahamas to Spain in 2015.

The dispute is one of several involving the artist and Spain’s tax authorities, including a separate settlement in 2018 over alleged filing irregularities.

Spanish authorities also argued she lived in Spain more than 183 days per year between 2012 and 2014, accusing her of defrauding the tax office of 14.5 million euros during that period.

In 2023, Shakira reached another settlement with prosecutors to avoid trial, agreeing to pay a fine of nearly 7.8 million euros.

Authorities reportedly used social media posts, witness testimony, and even summoned individuals such as her hairdresser and neighbors to support their case.

Shakira previously compared the investigation to an “Inquisition trial,” saying authorities were more focused on “burning her in public” than hearing her arguments.

Spain has in recent years pursued tax cases against several high-profile figures, including Argentine footballer Lionel Messi and Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom were convicted of tax evasion and received suspended prison sentences as first-time offenders.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev