Shakira Wins €60 Million Tax Refund as Spanish Court Voids 2011 Penalty
Updated
Updated · Euronews · May 18
Shakira Wins €60 Million Tax Refund as Spanish Court Voids 2011 Penalty
13 articles · Updated · Euronews · May 18
More than €60 million in settlements, penalties and interest must be returned to Shakira after Spain's National Court annulled the 2011 tax claims against her.
The court said the Treasury failed to prove she spent more than 183 days in Spain in 2011, finding her international tour and other work kept her abroad for much of the year.
Judges ruled the economic claims lacked legal basis because her Spanish tax residency for that period was not established; Shakira said there was "never any fraud" after nearly a decade of pressure.
The decision covers only 2011 and does not undo her 2023 deal over 2012-2014 tax charges, in which she paid a fine to avoid prison; the ruling can still be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Why did Shakira win her 2011 tax fight but settle a later, similar case?
Is Spain's tax system built to be fair, or to win at any cost?
Could shared digital tax rules prevent future legal battles for Europe's mobile workers?