After years of legal battle, Shakira cleared of tax fraud as authorities move to return $64 million

• A Spanish court has cleared Shakira of tax fraud and ordered authorities to refund her €55 million plus interest.

• Judges ruled that prosecutors failed to prove she spent enough time in Spain in 2011 to qualify as a tax resident.

• Spain’s tax agency plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

Spain's National High Court ruled that tax authorities had failed to prove Shakira spent the minimum 183 days in the country in 2011 required to establish tax residency. The court determined she was present for 163 days that year, 20 days short of the threshold, making the income tax charges and accompanying fines unlawful.

In a statement following the ruling, Shakira said the court had "finally set the record straight" after eight years of what she described as orchestrated campaigns to damage her reputation, public targeting, and sleepless nights that affected both her health and her family. "There was never any fraud," she said, "and the Administration itself could never prove otherwise, simply because it wasn't true."

The repayment covers roughly €24 million in income tax and nearly €25 million in fines that authorities had previously classified as a "very serious" infringement. Spain's tax agency has since announced it will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, meaning no funds will be released until a final decision is reached.

The case dates back to a period when Shakira was living with former Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Piqué, whom she reportedly met in 2010 during the filming of Waka Waka, the official anthem of that year's FIFA World Cup. The dispute is one of several between the singer and Spanish tax authorities, separate from a broader fraud case she settled in 2018 to avoid trial.

In her latest statement, she dedicated the court's ruling to ordinary citizens she said had been put through similar ordeals at great personal and financial cost.

The ruling arrives at a notable moment. Shakira is confirmed to perform alongside Madonna and BTS at the half-time show of this summer's FIFA Men's World Cup final and has since released the official anthem of the 2026 World Cup featuring Burna Boy.

Spain's tax agency's appeal means the matter is not entirely closed, but for now, the court has ruled in her favour.

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