Shakira‘s tax fraud legal battle is coming to an end.
The 49-year-old “Dai Dai” superstar has been acquitted of tax fraud, and she will be refunded nearly $65 million by Spain’s treasury after it was determined in court that the money was improperly collected.
According to the ruling, tax authorities failed to prove she spent 183 days in Spain in 2011, which would have made her a resident and responsible for personal income tax per Variety.
The court found that she spent 163 days in the country that year instead.
Shakira Speaks Out After Winning Her Case
In a statement given to the BBC, Shakira said the court had “finally set the record straight” after she had spent eight years “enduring brutal public targeting, orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation, and sleepless nights that ultimately impacted 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 continued.
“Today, that narrative crumbles, and it does so with the full force of a court ruling,” she concluded, dedicating the win to “thousands of ordinary citizens” made to similarly prove their innocence at “the cost of economic and emotional ruin.”
Spain Could Still Appeal the Decision
The repayment breaks down to about €24m ($27 million) in income tax and almost €25m ($29 million) in fines for the alleged infringement.
The tax agency said it would appeal to the Supreme Court and that they wouldn’t be paying until a final ruling, per the outlet.
At the same time, Shakira just dropped a new World Cup anthem for 2026.
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