Shakira acquitted in Spain tax fraud case as court orders return of $70 million

Spain’s High Court has fully acquitted Colombian singer Shakira of tax fraud tied to her 2011 earnings and ordered the state to return €60 million plus interest, bringing the total reimbursement to roughly $70 million, according to livemint.com.

The ruling reverses a penalty first levied by Spain’s tax inspectors who had argued that Shakira was resident in Spain during 2011 and therefore owed income tax on worldwide earnings. After years of litigation, a panel of judges concluded that prosecutors failed to prove she spent more than 183 days in the country that year, livemint.com reported. The decision nullifies both the original assessment and the associated fines.

The outcome is one of the largest claw-backs ever granted to an individual taxpayer in Spain and arrives as the national tax agency pursues similar high-profile cases against athletes and entertainers. Comparable disputes—such as the 2024 settlement between footballer Lionel Messi and Spanish authorities—have ended in reduced penalties rather than full acquittals, making Shakira’s complete vindication unusually decisive. Legal advisers say the judgment may embolden other foreign celebrities contesting Spanish residence claims.

Shakira’s legal team told livemint.com they expect the refund to be processed within 60 days. The singer, currently preparing for a world tour that includes a FIFA World Cup halftime performance, has not indicated whether she will seek additional damages for reputational harm. Observers will now watch how Spain’s tax agency recalibrates its criteria for determining fiscal residency in future audits.