Cross-border touring can make for some intricate tax considerations. As one expert tells Billboard, "Touring artists live unusually mobile lives."
Shakira performs on stage during a massive free show at Copacabana beach on May 02, 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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In 2011, Shakira spent 163 days in Spain between stops on her blockbuster Sale el Sol world tour. That tally ended up being crucial in the star’s long quest to void a $69 million tax penalty levied by the European nation — showing just how granular the work of international tour accounting can get.
Experts helped Billboard unpack Shakira’s Monday (May 18) legal victory following an eight-year battle with Spanish tax authorities. In this ruling, Spain’s National Court acquitted the Colombian star of tax fraud and ordered the return of 60 million euros ($69 million) that had been levied for the 2011 income tax year. She separately paid a $7.6 million fine in 2023 for Spanish taxes between the years of 2012 and 2014.
