Spain’s High Court has cleared Colombian pop star Shakira of tax fraud and annulled a €55 million ($64 million) penalty imposed by Spanish tax authorities in 2021, according to a court document.
Following an appeal by the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer, the court also ordered the Treasury to refund her more than €60 million ($70 million), including interest, her legal team said.
The judges found that authorities had failed to demonstrate that Shakira spent more than 183 days in Spain in 2011, the threshold required under Spanish law for someone to qualify as a tax resident. The ruling does not apply to subsequent tax years.
Tax officials had previously argued that she was effectively based in Spain because of her relationship with former FC Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué and because her professional activities were centred in the country.
However, the High Court said the penalties were unlawful because they relied on an unproven assumption that she was a tax resident in Spain during the 2011 fiscal year.
The Spanish tax agency said it intends to appeal to the Supreme Court, meaning no payment will be made until a final decision is reached.
Shakira’s lawyer, José Luis Prada, welcomed the judgment, describing it as the end of an “eight-year ordeal” and criticising what he called a lack of rigour in administrative practice.
Shakira said the ruling could set an example for “thousands of ordinary citizens who are abused and crushed every day by a system that presumes them guilty and forces them to prove their innocence while facing financial and emotional ruin”, according to the same statement.
Separately, in November 2023, Shakira reached a deal with prosecutors to avoid trial in Barcelona over allegations that she failed to pay €14.5 million in Spanish income tax between 2012 and 2014.
Under the agreement, she admitted the charges and paid a fine of more than €7.3 million, roughly half of the alleged debt.
Pakistan is pushing for urgent global action and greater climate funding as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attends COP31 in Türkiye, warning th...
Armenia has lost its voting rights and the ability to nominate officials for certain posts within the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organi...
Four million workers across Spain joined a general strike on Wednesday over the country’s deepening housing crisis, unions said, bringing dis...
Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States met in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for their first formal talks in nine months. They did so with no agreement on what a ceasefire would be tied to or who gets to keep the land currently under Russian control.
At least 17 people have been reported killed in an explosion at a steel plant in western Türkiye, after a crane collapsed during maintenance work. The disaster has prompted a criminal investigation into what went wrong at the industrial facility.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a stark warning at this year's COP31 summit, saying the climate crisis iss advancing faster than governments' efforts to contain it.
Armenia could lose its voting rights within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on 11 November after failing to pay membership fees for more than two years, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said Washington believes the Russian President is prepared to reach a peace agreement under the right conditions, as U.S., Russian and Ukrainian delegations began trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday 10 November.
At just 25, Azerbaijani actor Eldar Isgandarov is making his mark on the international film scene, with roles in three A24-linked projects and appearances at major film festivals. His rising profile is also shining a spotlight on his Azerbaijani roots.
Turkmenistan has secured its first entry in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register, following the approval of a historical collection documenting the life and work of Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Adham.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced that its 2027 Costume Institute exhibition and Met Gala will explore how designers transform everyday clothing and ordinary materials into works of art.
Australia has returned two ancient stone statue heads to China, more than 30 years after they were taken from imperial tombs in central China.
Uzbekistan is launching a new fashion academy in Tashkent to help local clothing manufacturers build their own brands, sharpen design skills and compete in international markets.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment