Spanish court orders €55m tax refund for Shakira

Colombian pop superstar Shakira has secured a massive legal victory against the Spanish government, with a high court ordering the country's tax authority to refund her €55m over improperly collected taxes and penalties.

The national high court acquitted the 49-year-old singer of tax fraud for the 2011 fiscal year. The ruling stated that authorities failed to prove she spent the minimum 183 days in Spain required to be considered a tax resident. According to the court, Shakira was only in the country for 163 days that year.

Reacting to the verdict, the singer said the court had "finally set the record straight". She described the eight-year legal ordeal as a period of "brutal public targeting" and orchestrated smear campaigns that severely impacted her health and family life.

The mandated refund covers roughly €24m in income tax and nearly €25m in fines, plus interest. However, the Spanish tax agency announced it will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, meaning the payout will be withheld until a final ruling is reached.

This verdict marks a major turning point in Shakira's long-running financial disputes in Spain, which previously saw her agree to a €7.5m settlement in 2023 to close a separate case covering the 2012-2014 period.

The legal triumph arrives during a massive career resurgence for the artist. Following a free concert for two million fans on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach earlier this month, she is slated to wrap up her "Women Don't Cry Anymore" world tour with a Madrid residency in September. She is also gearing up to co-headline the 2026 Fifa World Cup final halftime show alongside Madonna and BTS this summer.