A Spanish court has acquitted Shakira in a tax fraud case, and the government must return more than 55 million euros, equivalent to $64 million, in wrongly imposed fines and interest. This decision, highlighted in documents by The Associated Press, follows Shakira’s long tax-related issues in Spain.
The court’s ruling addresses a dispute over the 2011 tax year. Spanish authorities failed to prove Shakira was a resident in Spain for that period. To be considered a tax resident, an individual must spend more than 183 days in the country. The court found evidence that Shakira only lived in Spain for 163 days in 2011.
Spain’s tax authorities have been stringent over the past decade, targeting notable figures like soccer stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for tax evasion. Both athletes were convicted but avoided prison due to a legal option that lets judges waive sentences under two years for first-time offenders.
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