The administrative chamber of the Spanish National Court ruled in favor of Shakira in her battle against the Iberian Revenue Agency, canceling the proceedings that forced her to pay almost 55 million euros in back taxes and fines. These amounts must now be repaid to the singer with interest, which according to judicial sources amount to 9 million euros. This is the news El País.
The ruling states that Shakira should not have been considered a tax resident in Spain in 2011 – a year in which the authorities documented only 163 days of presence in the country, compared to the 183 required by law. In fact, not even the arguments about the romantic relationship with Gerard Piqué were sufficient. The sentence notes that, even if in 2011 she had a relationship with the Barcelona footballer, “there was no marital bond” nor any “family unit”, since there were no “underage children”. It was not even proven that Spain was the center of its economic activity; during that time — during his tour Sale el Sol — «he carried out most of his professional activity abroad». The court concluded that Shakira would not have to pay Spanish taxes on her worldwide income in 2011.
The singer commented: “There was never any fraud, and the authorities were never able to prove otherwise, simply because it wasn't true.” And again: «After more than eight years of brutal public pillorying, orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation and endless sleepless nights that ended up damaging my health and the well-being of my family, the National Court has finally delivered justice». As for the future: “My hope is that this sentence sets a precedent for the thousands of ordinary citizens crushed every day by a system that presumes their guilt.”
The victory, however, remains partial: the already definitive criminal conviction for tax evasion in the years 2012-2014 – for which Shakira had accepted a three-year sentence and a fine of 7.3 million – remains valid.
