Shakira Acquitted of Tax Fraud in Spain, To Be Reimbursed Over $64 Million

After one of the most high-profile and protracted celebrity tax disputes in European history, Colombian superstar Shakira has been fully acquitted of tax fraud by a Spanish court. After an eight-year legal battle, a Spanish court acquitted Shakira of tax fraud and ordered the country’s treasury to refund the singer $64 million. The country’s high court has acquitted the Colombian singer of tax fraud and ordered the treasury to repay the money to her, with interest.

The ruling, announced on Monday, May 18, 2026, brings to a close a bitter chapter in the life of one of the world’s best-selling music artists, vindicating her long-held insistence that she never committed fraud and that Spanish authorities overstepped in their pursuit of her taxes.

The Court’s Decision

Spain’s National High Court acquitted Shakira in a tax fraud case, ordering the government to return more than 55 million euros ($64 million) in wrongly imposed fines. In the ruling, the court said that tax authorities failed to prove Shakira had spent 183 days in Spain in 2011, effectively making her a resident and liable for personal income tax.  

The court ruled instead that she had spent just 163 days in the country during that financial year. For a person to be considered a tax resident in Spain, she must spend more than 183 days in the country. Spanish authorities were only able to prove that Shakira lived in Spain that year for a total of 163 days, the court said, ordering the Treasury to reimburse the singer the tax paid plus interest. 

Spain’s tax agency argued that at the time Shakira was tied to Spain through a relationship with now-retired soccer player Gerard Piqué, and that she based her main economic activities in the country. But the High Court ruled that the relationship could not be legally equated to a marital one, nor was it proven that “the main center or base” of Shakira’s activities or economic interests in 2011 were directly or indirectly located in Spain. To further bolster her case, Shakira pointed out that she spent much of that year on the road, playing 120 concerts across 2011.

Key Figures in the Court Ruling

Shakira’s Powerful Response

In a lengthy statement following the ruling, Shakira did not hold back in expressing her relief and frustration over the ordeal. “After more than eight years of enduring brutal public targeting, orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation, and sleepless nights that ultimately impacted my health and my family’s well-being, the National High Court has finally set the record straight.” “There was never any fraud, and the Tax Agency itself was never able to prove otherwise, simply because it wasn’t true.”

She also pushed back against the way her public image was weaponized during the proceedings. “Every step of the process was leaked, distorted, and amplified, using my name and public image to send a threatening message to the rest of the taxpayers.”

The singer dedicated her victory to ordinary citizens, expressing hope that the ruling would set a legal precedent. “My greatest wish is that this ruling sets a precedent for the Treasury and serves the thousands of ordinary citizens who are abused and crushed every day by a system that presumes their guilt and forces them to prove their innocence at the cost of economic and emotional ruin.” Her attorney, José Luís Prada, called the resolution the result of “an eight-year ordeal that has taken an unacceptable toll, reflecting a lack of rigor in administrative practices.”

The Full Reimbursement

While the initial court ruling ordered the return of €55 million ($64 million) in wrongly imposed fines, Spain’s Treasury is to reimburse the singer 60 million euros (almost $70 million), including interest, Shakira’s lawyer said. The €60 million sum comprises a refund on taxes and fines, plus interest.

However, Shakira’s victory won’t necessarily end the dispute. Spain’s tax authority indicated its intention to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, and stated that no payment would be made until there is a final ruling. The new ruling also does not affect tax years after 2011.

Financial Summary of the Case

Shakira’s History of Tax Troubles in Spain

The acquittal relates specifically to the 2011 tax year, but it is far from the only tax case Shakira has faced in Spain. The decision follows years of tax troubles in Spain for the Colombian superstar. In 2023, in a separate tax fraud case, Shakira reached a deal with Spanish prosecutors to avoid a trial over charges that she did not pay Spanish income tax worth 14.5 million euros (then $15.8 million) between 2012 and 2014. 

In addition to €14.5 million in unpaid taxes plus interest, Shakira paid a €7.3 million fine. She also made a €432,000 payment to waive a suspended three-year prison sentence. If she had been found guilty, Shakira could have faced eight years in prison and a €23.7 million fine. Another investigation into allegations of tax fraud from 2018 was opened in July 2023, but in May 2024, investigators ruled there was not “sufficient evidence” to bring additional charges.

Shakira’s Complete Tax Case Timeline in Spain

The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer was named in the 2017 “Paradise Papers” leaks that detailed the offshore tax arrangements of numerous high-profile individuals, including pop icons Madonna and U2’s Bono.

Spain’s Broader Crackdown on Celebrity Tax Cases

Shakira is far from the only high-profile individual targeted by Spanish tax authorities. Spain’s tax authorities have over the past decade or so cracked down on soccer stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for not paying their full due in taxes. In 2017 the Supreme Court upheld a 21-month prison sentence given to Lionel Messi for underreporting income during his time with FC Barcelona. In 2018 Cristiano Ronaldo agreed to plead guilty to four charges of tax evasion and agreed to pay €18.8 million. Those players were found guilty of tax evasion but avoided prison time thanks to a provision that allows a judge to waive sentences under two years in length for first-time offenders.

Celebrity Tax Cases in Spain: Comparison

A Triumph Amid a Triumphant Year

The acquittal arrives during a momentous period for Shakira’s career. The news comes just days after Shakira was announced as a halftime performer, along with Madonna and BTS, during the halftime show at this summer’s FIFA Men’s World Cup final. The Sunday, July 19, match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will mark the first time the FIFA World Cup final has ever featured a halftime show.

Shakira’s name had already been linked to this year’s World Cup with the announcement of “Dai Dai,” her official 2026 World Cup song with Burna Boy. It will be her second official FIFA World Cup song following “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” recorded for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Earlier in May, she performed for an estimated 2 million people at a free concert on the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. This is a major victory for the Colombian superstar, who is preparing to embark on a U.S. arena tour on her ongoing Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour in June.

The timing of the acquittal could not be more poignant. After years of having her reputation tarnished by public legal proceedings, Shakira now enters what may be the most visible summer of her career with her name fully cleared on the charge that started it all. The court has spoken, the narrative has crumbled, and the queen of Latin pop stands vindicated.

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