Shakira acquitted – Shakira has been acquitted of tax fraud in Spain and is set to receive nearly $65 million back from the Spanish treasury after a court found authorities failed to prove she spent the required 183 days in the country in 2011.
Shakira’s long-running tax fraud fight in Spain appears to be ending in her favor—at least for now. The 49-year-old “Dai Dai” superstar has been acquitted, and Spain’s treasury is expected to refund her nearly $65 million after the court determined the money was improperly collected.
The ruling turned on whether tax authorities could prove she met the residency threshold for personal income tax.. The court found authorities failed to show Shakira spent 183 days in Spain in 2011. which would have made her responsible for personal income tax for that period.. Instead, the court found she spent 163 days in the country that year.
In a statement shared with the BBC. Shakira said the court had “finally set the record straight.” She described eight years of what she called “brutal public targeting. orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation. ” adding that the ordeal led to “sleepless nights” that ultimately affected “my health and my family’s well-being.”
“There was never any fraud, and the Administration itself could never prove otherwise, simply because it wasn’t true.. Yet, for nearly a decade, I was treated as guilty.. 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. ” she said.
Shakira also framed the decision as a collapse of what she called “that narrative. ” adding that the win should be read “with the full force of a court ruling.” She dedicated the outcome to “thousands of ordinary citizens” who were forced to prove their innocence at “the cost of economic and emotional ruin.”
The refund figure is reported to break down to about €24m ($27 million) in income tax and almost €25m ($29 million) in fines for the alleged infringement.. Even so. the case is not necessarily fully over: the tax agency said it would appeal to the Supreme Court and that it would not be paying until a final ruling. per the outlet.
In the middle of the legal outcome, Shakira has also released a new World Cup anthem for 2026, adding another milestone to a year already shaped by the courtroom’s day-and-night stakes.
The court found the key residency fact—183 days versus 163 days in 2011—went against the tax authorities’ case, and that mismatch is reflected in what Spain is expected to repay: about €24m ($27 million) in income tax plus almost €25m ($29 million) in fines.
Shakira Spain tax fraud acquitted refund Supreme Court 183 days 163 days BBC statement World Cup anthem 2026