Shakira triumphs in tax dispute: Spain has to pay back 55 million euros. The singer speaks of brutal attacks – and settles accounts with the authorities.
Shakira has won a decisive victory in the year-long tax dispute with Spanish authorities. A Spanish court ruled that the fines imposed on the singer were unlawful. The Spanish tax authority now has to pay back more than 55 million euros including interest.
The national high court concluded that it could not be proven that Shakira had spent the required 183 days in Spain in 2011 to be liable to tax there. According to the court, she was only in the country for 163 days at the time.
“I was treated like I was guilty for almost a decade.”
In a press statement, Shakira expressed her relief at the verdict – and at the same time settled accounts with the authorities and public reporting.
The musician said the court had “finally set the record straight” after she had endured eight years of “brutal public attacks” and “targeted campaigns to destroy her reputation”. The constant leaks and the media escalation of the case were particularly stressful.
“There was never any cheating,” stressed Shakira. Nevertheless, she was “treated as if she were guilty for almost a decade”.
Tax disputes have accompanied Shakira for years
The case is part of a larger conflict between the singer and the tax authorities. Prosecutors in Barcelona had already claimed in 2021 that Shakira had to pay taxes in Spain between 2012 and 2014 because she mostly lived there.
In 2023, another indictment followed for alleged tax evasion amounting to 6.7 million euros for the 2018 tax year. In order to avoid a possible prison stay, the artist reached an out-of-court agreement with the authorities.
Shakira lived in Spain for many years with ex-professional footballer Gerard Piqué. According to reports, the two met in 2010 while filming the World Cup song “Waka Waka.”
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Despite legal dispute: Shakira remains a global superstar
Musically, Shakira continues to perform at the highest level. She recently played a free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, which, according to media reports, attracted more than two million people.
She will also be part of the first halftime show of a World Cup final together with Madonna and BTS. The event will take place on July 19th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The show is curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay.
