London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jun 11, 2026

The tax authorities in Spain are trying to put international singer Shakira in jail

Not because she didn't pay taxes. She paid 17 million dollars in taxes in Spain, even though she is not a Spanish citizen, and even though the huge amount she paid is much higher than any other private citizen in Spain.
Shakira is registered as a citizen of the Bahamas, and according to the law there she does not have to pay taxes at all. But Shakira's boyfriend lives in Spain, and she used to visit him and stay with him frequently.

According to the law in Spain, if a tourist who is not a citizen stays in the country for more than 183 days, he is considered a citizen for the purposes of his tax liability, even though he does not enjoy any of the rights given to citizens.

To prove she stayed in Spain for more than 183 days a year, the tax authorities monitored her social media accounts, where she shared the locations she visited.

It is important to note that Shakira did not make her profits in Spain. She did not work in Spain. She was just visiting her boyfriend there. Her profits were from royalties on songs and performances that were not made in Spain at all.

So it is not clear what the moral basis is for the impudent demand of the Spanish Tax Authority to jail someone who is not a Spanish citizen, and who paid more taxes to the Spanish government than any other citizen.

So yes, formally the law allows Spain to go after people who are not its citizens. Instead of thanking them for their huge contribution to the Spanish economy.

But if this is the law, then the legislators who enacted this immoral law are the ones who should be put in jail. Not Shakira, who paid Spain millions of dollars from profits she made outside of Spain. And it's not even as if the money goes to the Spanish people. It just goes to finance the bureaucrats and parasites of the greedy Spanish government.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
University College London Study Links Physical Punishment to Higher Risk of Bullying
East Midlands Railway Unveils First Refurbished Train in £60 Million Modernization Programme
RNLI Issues National Water Safety Appeal Ahead of Expected Heatwave
Climate Change Raises Subsidence Risks for Millions of Homes Across Southeast England
Manchester Advances Plans for Underground Piccadilly Station With £1 Million Funding Commitment
Anti-Immigration Violence Continues in Belfast Amid Heightened Security Concerns
UK Law Locks Great British Railways Into Public Ownership
Office for National Statistics Adopts Supermarket Checkout Data for Inflation Measurement
Applied Atomics Launches With $500 Million Space Infrastructure Order Book
BYD Plans Nationwide Rollout of Ultra-Fast EV Charging Network
UK House Prices Unexpectedly Fall in May
CBI Warns UK Growth Is Becoming Increasingly Dependent on Public Spending
Makerfield By-Election Fuels Speculation Over Labour’s Future Leadership
Britain Declines to Join EU SAFE Defence Fund
UK Unveils 2040 Emissions Target Despite Strong Political Opposition
Government Orders Full Review of Palantir’s NHS Data Contract
UK Borrowing Costs Climb as Markets Price in Further Bank of England Rate Rises
Resident Doctors Confirm Five-Day NHS Strike Across England
Violent Anti-Immigrant Riots in Belfast Spark Political and Diplomatic Tensions
United Kingdom Sees Recovery in Horizon Europe Research Funding Share to 9.3 Percent
UK Inflation Holds at 2.8 Percent as Office for Budget Responsibility Flags Persistent Price Pressures
United Kingdom Launches National Anti-Fraud Framework to Combat Rising Pension Scam Losses
United Kingdom Expands Sanctions on Israeli Groups While Funding Palestinian Authority Salaries and Gaza Mine Clearance
United Kingdom Issues Three-Month Ultimatum to Major Technology Firms Over Child Online Safety Controls
United Kingdom Government Moves Toward Blanket Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen
Widespread Anti-Immigration Rioting Erupts Across Belfast After Knife Attack Linked to Asylum Seeker
Farmers Warn of Crop Losses Following Months of Unseasonal Rainfall
Civil Aviation Authority Launches Review of Regional Airport Operations
Met Office Issues Heat-Health Alert Across Parts of England
National Grid Introduces New Measures to Protect Winter Energy Supply
Northern England Rail Upgrades Receive Additional Government Funding
Wales Advances Green Hydrogen Strategy to Decarbonize Heavy Industry
UK Expands Recruitment Incentives to Address Shortage of STEM Teachers
High Court Opens Door to Climate Liability Claims Against Major Industrial Emitters
Police Service of Northern Ireland Investigates Major Personnel Data Breach
Defense Ministry Overhauls Procurement System to Accelerate AUKUS Submarine Program
Net Migration Remains Above Government Expectations, New Data Shows
UK and Scottish Governments Agree Framework for Expanded North Sea Wind Development
UK Treasury Launches New Tax Incentives to Boost AI and Semiconductor Investment
Bank of England Signals Continued Caution on Interest Rate Cuts
UK Unveils £10 Billion NHS Digital Modernization Plan Centered on AI Integration
Nebius Opens Major Robotics and Physical AI Laboratory in London
Bank of England Data Shows Strong Rise in New Mortgage Approvals
Network Rail Completes Landmark Upgrade of Severn Tunnel Rail Infrastructure
East West Rail Passenger Services Between Oxford and Milton Keynes Set for December Launch
GlaxoSmithKline Reportedly Pursues £7 Billion Acquisition of US Cancer Drug Developer Nuvalent
Bank of England Signals Interest Rates Likely to Remain Unchanged Despite Energy Market Risks
NHS Trusts Launch Job-Cutting Programmes as Financial Pressures Intensify Across England
More Than 130 Labour MPs Urge Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements
Keir Starmer Orders Technology Firms to Introduce Smartphone Nudity Controls for Under-18s
×