The dealings between the Spanish tax authorities and Shakira are quite a story. To fully grasp the situation between the singer and the country’s public treasury, we need to go back to 2010. That year, Shakira met football player Gerard Pique on the set of the “Waka Waka” music video, the anthem of the 2010 World Cup. Between the FC Barcelona defender and the singer, it was love at first sight, and the two officially confirmed their relationship in 2011, which ended in 2022 after a very publicized separation. This is where the Spanish tax authorities come into play. In fact, the Spanish administration argues that in 2011, Shakira became a tax resident and therefore must pay taxes in Spain.
What is happening between Shakira and the Spanish administration? To be considered a tax resident, one must spend more than 183 days in the country. In a letter dated April 15th, revealed this Monday, May 18th by the AFP, the Spanish justice ruled in favor of the pop star: “The administration did not demonstrate that the complainant had stayed in Spain for more than 183 days.”
The amount reaches 55 million euros and includes income tax (over 24 million), the fine imposed at the time for infractions (nearly 25 million euros), property tax for 2011 (2.6 million), the related fine (2.7 million), in addition to interest.
It is a great victory for Shakira. The one who made waves with her tour in 2025 claimed to have permanently established herself in Barcelona in late 2014, before transferring her tax residence from the Bahamas to Spain in 2015. However, this decision does not cancel out previous proceedings and issues settled in the last two years concerning tax years 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2018.
An affair that even inspired a series on Arte! In 2023, she reached a last-minute agreement with the prosecution and was sentenced to pay a fine of over 7.3 million euros, equivalent to “50%” of the fraud amount, in addition to a regularization of 17.45 million paid to the treasury. She also had to pay 6.6 million euros for “irregularities” in her 2018 tax return.
On May 9th, Shakira spoke out against a “total public lynching” and stated: “My greatest wish is for this judgment to set a precedent for the tax authorities and to help the thousands of individuals who, every day, are abused and crushed by a system where they are presumed guilty and forced to prove their innocence.” This case also inspired a series, aired on Arte in 2026: “Celeste.” If you want to understand more, we strongly encourage you to give it a look!
