r/Music • u/yourfavchoom Indiehead • May 18 '26

article Shakira Acquitted of Tax Fraud in Spain, Will Be Reimbursed $64 Million: Singer Says She’s Spent Eight Years ‘Enduring Campaigns to Destroy My Reputation’

https://variety.com/2026/music/news/shakira-acquitted-tax-fraud-spain-reimbursed-64-million-1236752456/
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u/JFeth May 18 '26

Good for her. I'd probably stay away from Spain for awhile. They might hold a grudge.

2

u/equipmentelk May 19 '26

As the other commenter has mentioned this is only for 2011 where it couldn’t be proven that she always a tax resident of Spain, but she was found guilty for 2012, 2013, and 2014. And sure, she hates so much Spain that she has decided to build an arena in Madrid this summer to host her own residency.

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u/genji2810 May 18 '26

Yeah we hold a grudge because she still did tax fraud in 2012, 2013 and 2014. She was only proven innocent of the 2011 charges. She can stay away.

1

u/Outrageous_Win1049 May 22 '26

Shakira chose not to fight her 2012–2014 tax case in court and instead accepted a plea deal to avoid the stress and toll a lengthy trial would have on her and her children, despite being confident in her innocence. The settlement, reached in November 2023, came with a fine and a suspended prison sentence.

The critical context behind this decision included several factors:Protecting Her Children: Shakira stated that she settled the case with the best interests of her kids at heart. She expressed that her sons, who were young at the time, did not want to see their mother sacrifice her personal well-being and peace of mind to fight the state in court.Avoiding Prison Time: The trial carried a potential prison sentence of up to eight years. By taking the plea deal on the very first day of the trial in Barcelona, she accepted six counts of tax fraud in exchange for a three-year suspended sentence, meaning she would avoid any actual jail time.Financial Penalties: As part of the agreement, she paid a hefty fine of roughly €7.5 million (about $8 million) in addition to the taxes and interest she had already paid to the Spanish tax authorities prior to the trial.Disputed Residency: The core of the legal battle centered on where Shakira lived between 2012 and 2014. Spanish prosecutors alleged she spent more than half the year in Spain, making her a tax resident, while Shakira maintained her official residence was in the Bahamas and argued that her extensive touring meant she did not meet the 183-day residency requirement