Pop star Shakira is acquitted in a Spanish tax fraud case

A Spanish court acquitted Shakira in a tax fraud case, ordering the government to return more than 55 million euros ($64 million) in wrongly imposed fines, a court document seen Monday by The Associated Press said.

The decision follows years of tax troubles in Spain for the Colombian superstar.
The ruling relates to a dispute over the 2011 tax year in which Spanish tax authorities did not prove that the singer was a resident of Spain, the Madrid-based court said in its decision.

For a person to be considered a tax resident in Spain, she must spend more than 183 days in the country.

Spanish authorities were only able to prove that Shakira lived in Spain that year for a total of 163 days, the court said, ordering the Treasury to reimburse the singer the tax paid plus interest.

Colombian singer Shakira arrives with her lawyer Pau Molins (left) at the High Court of Justice of Catalonia for her trial on tax fraud, in Barcelona. File/AFP

"There was never any fraud, and the Tax Agency itself was never able to prove otherwise, simply because it wasn’t true," Shakira said in a statement provided by her lawyers.

Spain's Treasury is to reimburse the singer 60 million euros (almost $70 million), including interest, Shakira’s lawyer said.

"This resolution comes after an eight-year ordeal that has taken an unacceptable toll, reflecting a lack of rigor in administrative practices,” her lawyer, José Luís Prada, said in a statement.

Spain's tax authorities have over the past decade or so cracked down on soccer stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for not paying their full due in taxes. Those players were found guilty of tax evasion but avoided prison time thanks to a provision that allows a judge to waive sentences under two years in length for first-time offenders.

Associated Press