National Court orders Tax Agency to return €55 million to Shakira

Spain's National Court has ordered the Tax Agency (Hacienda) to return more than €55 million to pop singer Shakira, considering that she was not obliged to pay taxes in Spain in 2011 due to her world tour.

With this step, the court upholds the appeal filed by the artist and annuls the assessments and penalties imposed by the tax office, considering that it has not been proven that the singer remained in Spain for more than 183 days during 2011, as required by the law that determines how to pay income tax.

The Colombian's defense team criticized the fact that the court decision was issued after an "eight-year ordeal" and has assured that the procedure has caused "unacceptable distress" for the singer.

The National Court considers that Shakira only stayed in Spain for 163 days of 2011, and that, therefore, the Administration has not proven that the singer had "the core of economic interests in Spain or family relationships with residents in our country."

The sentence, which can be appealed to the Supreme Court, concludes that the settlements and sanctions applied to the singer are contrary to law.

The defense team published a statement which includes comment from the singer herself, who laments the “brutal public denunciation” she has suffered and the effects this has had on her and her family.

“For almost a decade I have been treated as guilty, every step of the process has been leaked, distorted and amplified, and my name and public figure have been used to send a threatening message to other taxpayers,” she criticizes.