Shakira is celebrating a major legal victory after a Spanish court acquitted her in a tax fraud case tied to the 2011 tax year. The court ruled that Spain’s tax agency failed to prove the global superstar was a Spanish tax resident during that time, meaning the government could not legally claim she owed personal income tax for that year.

At the center of the case was Spain’s residency rule. To be considered a tax resident, a person must spend more than 183 days in the country. According to the court, authorities were only able to prove Shakira spent 163 days in Spain in 2011. Because of that, the court ordered Spain’s Treasury to reimburse her more than €55 million, with her legal team saying the total could reach about $70 million once interest is included.

Shakira responded strongly, saying there was “never any fraud” and that the tax agency was never able to prove otherwise. Her legal team also criticized the long process, saying the case took an emotional and financial toll.

However, this ruling only applies to the 2011 case. Shakira previously settled a separate Spanish tax case involving the years 2012 through 2014, agreeing in 2023 to pay millions in fines to avoid a longer trial.

For Shakira, this latest decision is more than a money win — it is a public clearing of her name in one of the biggest legal battles of her career.