Court Orders €60 Million Refund to Shakira in 2011 Tax Case

Overview

• Spain’s National Court, in a ruling Monday, ordered the Treasury to repay roughly €55 million in annulled tax bills and penalties to Shakira, plus interest that brings the total to about €60 million.
• The court found she was not a Spanish tax resident in 2011 because authorities proved only 163 days in the country, short of the 183‑day threshold set in law.
• Judges said the penalties lacked a solid legal basis, and media reports suggest interest on the refund could be near €9 million, a figure not formally confirmed by the government.
• The decision does not change Shakira’s 2023 settlement over 2012–2014, when she accepted a suspended three‑year sentence and paid a €7.3 million fine to avoid trial.
• A separate probe into her 2018 returns was closed earlier in May after prosecutors said they lacked evidence to file charges.