Singer Shakira acquitted of tax fraud in Spain
Shakira reached a deal with Spanish prosecutors to settle a tax fraud case, just as her trial was about to begin in 2023.
Spain's High Court has acquitted Colombian singer Shakira of tax fraud.
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The Treasury has been ordered to reimburse her over 60 million euros in fines she had paid plus interest, according to a court document.
She had previously faced tax fraud allegations for €14.5m (£12.7m) in a Barcelona court.
Shakira, who repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, said she settled "with the best interest of my kids at heart".
She paid a €7.5m (£6.5m) fine in 2023 - prosecutors had wanted to jail her for eight years and fine her €23.8m (£20.8m) if found guilty.
Read more: Shakira and Burna Boy team up for official World Cup song
Read more: Shakira, Madonna and BTS to headline World Cup final half-time show
The row surrounded Shakira's residency status between 2012 and 2014, when prosecutors alleged that she was living in Spain but listing her official residence elsewhere.
Under Spanish law, people who spend more than six months in the country are considered residents for tax purposes. But Shakira insisted Spain was not where she was mainly living at the time
Prosecutors claimed that she bought a house in Barcelona in 2012, which became a family home for her and her then-partner, Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué.
Her lawyers have said that up until 2014, most of her income came from international tours, and she spent long chunks of time outside of Spain.
The news of the acquittal comes as Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy have teamed up to release the official song for the 2026 World Cup ahead of next month’s tournament.
The duo officially released Dai Dai last Friday, with the Colombian singer celebrating the news on social media.
“Dai Dai is here. The @fifaworldcup 2026 starts now!” she captioned an Instagram post announcing the song’s launch.
It comes amid news that Shakira will be joined by Madonna and South Korean boy band BTS to headline the first World Cup final half-time show.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who revealed the line-up via a social media video featuring characters from Sesame Street and the Muppets, is the curator of the landmark performance.
The World Cup final is scheduled to take place on Sunday July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.