A Spanish court has ordered the tax authority to repay Shakira more than €55 million (£48 million), ruling that it wrongly imposed fines due to errors over her tax status in 2011. The Audiencia Nacional in Madrid accepted her appeal against the penalty, which was based on claims she had not paid required taxes while living in Spain.
The court stated that the tax agency failed to prove Shakira spent more than 183 days in Spain that year, which would have made her liable for personal income tax. Instead, it found she stayed 163 days and lacked core economic interests in the country. The ruling orders the agency to return the fines plus interest and costs.
However, the decision only covers the 2011 case and can be appealed to the Supreme Court. In November 2023, Shakira settled a separate case for unpaid taxes between 2012 and 2014, agreeing to pay €7.3 million in fines and €438,000 to avoid a prison sentence.
In a statement, Shakira said the court recognised no fraud occurred in 2011, adding she had endured 'years of public shaming' and 'orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation'. She accused the tax agency of a 'salacious press campaign' against her.
