Shakira celebrates major Spanish court victory with track ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’ by Rihanna

Shakira has been officially cleared in a long running Spanish tax dispute after the country’s National High Court ruled that authorities failed to prove she was a tax resident in 2011. The decision overturns earlier claims that she owed significant unpaid taxes and orders the Spanish Treasury to return more than €55 million, approximately $64 million, along with interest.

The case centred on whether the Colombian singer spent more than 183 days in Spain during 2011, which is the legal threshold for determining tax residency under Spanish law. The court found that tax officials were only able to demonstrate she spent around 163 days in the country that year, falling short of the requirement. As a result, the court concluded that she was not liable for income tax in Spain for that period.

The ruling marks the conclusion of a separate strand of legal proceedings from the widely reported tax disputes that have followed Shakira over the past decade. It does not relate to her later 2012 to 2014 case, which was settled in 2023 with a financial agreement to avoid trial.

Following the announcement, Shakira shared a series of images on Instagram, accompanied by Rihanna’s track “Bitch Better Have My Money”. The post quickly gained attention online, with fans interpreting the music choice as a celebratory response to the court’s decision. According to multiple reports, the post came shortly after the verdict became public and was widely shared across social media platforms.

Shakira has previously spoken about the emotional and financial toll of her tax disputes in Spain, describing the process as lengthy and difficult. In statements following earlier proceedings, she maintained that she had complied with legal requirements and rejected allegations of fraud.

The latest ruling has once again placed her at the centre of global discussion, both for the legal outcome and for her public reaction online. While the court decision focuses strictly on residency rules and tax liability for a specific year, the social media response has extended the story into wider cultural conversation.

At present, the case remains subject to potential appeal, but the ruling stands as a major development in one of Europe’s most closely followed celebrity tax disputes.