Shakira Is Found Not Guilty of Tax Fraud in Spain

Spain’s national court announced on Monday that it had acquitted Shakira of tax fraud in a case more than a decade old, and ordered the country’s tax authorities to repay her tens of millions of dollars.The ruling is part of the Colombian pop star’s yearslong legal battle with the Spanish authorities.Upholding an appeal she filed, it orders the state to return 55 million euros (about $64 million) plus interest to the singer.

The court ruled in April but documents were released on Monday.At the heart of the case were allegations that Shakira, 49, had been a resident of Spain in 2011 and therefore owed taxes to the Spanish government that year.Spain’s national court said that hadn’t been proven.

To be considered a tax resident in Spain, a person has to spend more than 183 days of the year in the country, have their main economic activities based there or have a spouse or children living there.The court said in its statement that Shakira had been in Spain for 163 days in 2011.

Spain’s tax authorities failed to prove “that the singer had the core of her economic interests in Spain and family relationships with residents in our country” during that year, according to the court.José Luis Prada, Shakira’s lawyer, said in a statement that the ruling “represents a significant personal and reputational vindication for Shakira after more than eight years of litigation.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe....