PAYSLIPS DON’T LIE

Shakira Lands Massive $64 Million Payday After Court Victory

She has been locked in a battle for over a decade.

A Spanish court has ordered the country’s authorities to repay Shakira $64 million after the singer won a dispute over her taxes. The 49-year-old Colombian was acquitted of tax fraud by a Madrid court, which ordered the Spanish government to repay the “Whenever, Wherever” hitmaker fines and interest, according to court documents seen by the Associated Press. It comes after a drawn-out legal battle relating to the 2011 tax year, during which Spanish authorities claimed she was a permanent resident. But the government was unable to prove the “Hips Don’t Lie” star had spent the required 183 days in the country and could only demonstrate she had been there for 163 days, leading the court to declare the fines unlawful. Shakira had lived in Spain with her former partner, soccer player Gerard Piqué. In a statement, Shakira’s lawyer, Jose Luis Prada, said, “This decision comes after an eight-year ordeal that has taken an unacceptable toll, reflecting a lack of rigor in administrative practice.” It comes against the backdrop of a push to get overseas high earners associated with Spain to pay more tax. Shakira said she hoped the ruling would help “thousands of ordinary citizens who are abused and crushed every day by a system that presumes them guilty and forces them to prove their innocence while facing financial and emotional ruin.” The tax agency said it would appeal the ruling.