Shakira has been acquitted of tax fraud linked to her 2011 income after an eight-year legal battle with Spanish authorities, with Spain’s High Court now ordering the government to return more than €60 million to the global superstar.
The ruling, issued on Monday, overturned a previous fine imposed by Spain’s tax agency and concluded authorities had failed to prove the singer spent the required 183 days in Spain during 2011 to qualify as a tax resident.
According to representatives for the singer, the Spanish government must now repay over €60 million, including interest, after the court found the penalties had been wrongly imposed.
The case centred on claims by Spanish tax officials that the singer should have paid income tax in Spain due to her relationship at the time with former footballer Gerard Piqué, with whom she shares two sons.
Shakira and Gerard Piqué announced their separation in June 2022 after 11 years together. The split was precipitated by Piqué's infidelity. ph.FAB, Shutterstock
In a lengthy statement following the ruling, Shakira said the decision had “finally set the record straight” after years of public scrutiny and legal pressure.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
The singer added that she hoped the judgment would become a wider turning point for ordinary people facing similar disputes with tax authorities.
“Today, that narrative crumbles, and it does so with the full force of a court ruling. 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. This victory is dedicated to them.”
Her lawyer, José Luis Prada, described the ruling as the end of an “eight-year ordeal” and criticised what he called a flawed administrative process.
“Shakira had the strength and resources to see this through to the end, but this modus operandi suffocates many ordinary taxpayers who do not have the means to defend themselves,” he said.
The decision only applies to Shakira’s 2011 tax case. In November 2023, the singer agreed to pay a separate settlement of €7.5 million over allegations linked to income earned between 2012 and 2014, saying at the time she chose to settle to protect her children rather than admit guilt.
In 2024, Spanish prosecutors later dropped another tax fraud investigation tied to her 2018 income.
Earlier this month, Shakira made history with a massive free concert on Brazil’s iconic Copacabana Beach, drawing an estimated crowd of more than two million people. The show, held as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, became one of the biggest live performances of her career and featured hits including Hips Don't Lie, Whenever, Wherever and She Wolf.
Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy have teamed up to release the official song for the 2026 World Cup ahead of next month's tournament.
The duo officially released Dai Dai on Friday, with the Colombian singer celebrating the news on social media.
"Dai Dai is here. The @fifaworldcup 2026 starts now!" she captioned an Instagram post announcing the song’s launch.
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