Shakira wins her battle against the Spanish Tax Office

Raymundo Larraín Nesbitt, May, 21. 2026

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By Raymundo Larraín Nesbitt
Lawyer – Abogado
21^st of May 2026

Earlier this week, we got the news that Shakira (finally) won her longstanding battle against the Spanish Tax Office. She stands to recover 60mn euros plus legal interests on top. Shakira goes on to join the group of other famous personalities that likewise challenged the tax office and won their cases (such as Xabi Alonso, Piqué, Ana Duato, María Teresa Campos and many more). Shakira is a successful singer known for her generosity and philanthropic foundations in benefit of poor and deprived children of her native Colombia.

Following the court ruling, Shakira released a public statement:

"Después de más de ocho años soportando un señalamiento público brutal, campañas orquestadas para destruir mi reputación y noches enteras sin dormir que terminaron afectando a mi salud y al bienestar de mi familia, por fin la Audiencia Nacional ha puesto las cosas en su sitio", ha comenzado diciendo. Nunca hubo fraude, y la propia Administración nunca pudo demostrar lo contrario, sencillamente, porque no era cierto. Aun así, durante casi una década, se me ha tratado como culpable, se ha filtrado, distorsionado y amplificado cada paso del proceso, y se ha utilizado mi nombre y mi figura pública para enviar un mensaje amenazante al resto de contribuyentes. Hoy esa narrativa cae, y lo hace con la fuerza de una sentencia.

Mi mayor deseo es que este fallo siente un precedente para Hacienda y sirva a los miles de ciudadanos anónimos que cada día son abusados y aplastados por un sistema que presume su culpabilidad y los obliga a demostrar su inocencia desde la ruina económica y emocional. A ellos va dedicada esta victoria"

Loosely translated in English as:

“After more than eight years of enduring brutal public shaming, orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation, and countless sleepless nights that ultimately affected my health and the well-being of my family, the National Court has finally set things right. There was never any fraud, and the Tax Agency itself was never able to prove otherwise, simply because it wasn’t true. Even so, 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 image have been used to send a threatening message to other taxpayers. Today, that narrative collapses, and it does so with the force of a court ruling.

My greatest wish is that this ruling sets a precedent for the Tax Agency and serves the thousands of anonymous citizens who are abused and crushed every day by a system that presumes their guilt and forces them to prove their innocence while facing economic and emotional ruin. This victory is dedicated to them.”

A little known fact is that the Spanish Tax Office, when challenged at court, loses 50 to 70% of its cases (depending on which tax). In plain English, the predatory practices of the Spanish Tax Office, when examined closely, are regularly quashed by the judges ruling on these matters.

The fact is that the tax office banks on the knowledge that most taxpayers refuse to challenge a tax inspection at court. In that knowledge, the tax office unlawfully pockets billions of euros every year.

Another little known fact is that tax inspectors in Spain are awarded a bonus of up to 25% on successfully 'recovering' funds from besieged taxpayers. In other words, Spanish tax inspectors have a vested interest in pursuing and opening tax cases against weary taxpayers, whether merited or not, regardless.

And finally, another little known fact is that nothing (nada) happens to these tax inspectors when the cases they opened against taxpayers are thrown out by a court, as is routinely the case.

The gist of this article is that you do not have to be Shakira, or even a multimillionaire, to hire a law firm and defend yourself if you think you are being wrongfully and unjustly accused. And even if you are, in most cases the tax office files unfounded cases which are unravelled at court by lawyers for lack of concrete evidence and working on suppositions and hearsay.

"A lawyer's job is to protect his clients from other lawyers."

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At Larrain Nesbitt Abogados (LNA) we have over 23 years of experience specialising in taxation, and property conveyance. We also assist clients with immigration & residency visas, and inheritance procedures (probate). You can contact us by e-mail at info@larrainnesbitt.com, by telephone on our UK line (+44) 0754 3838 218 or Spanish line (+34) 952 19 22 88, or by completing our contact form.

Please note the information provided in this article is of general interest only and is not to be construed or intended as substitute for professional legal advice. This article may be posted freely in websites or other social media so long as the author is duly credited. Plagiarising, whether in whole or in part, this article without crediting the author may result in criminal prosecution. Ní neart go cur le chéile. VOV.