Spanish prosecutors have demanded that Colombian pop diva Shakira serve more than eight years in prison and pay a fine of almost $24 million for alleged tax fraud, as the authorities continue their years-long prosecution of the Colombian singer.
Shakira’s legal troubles began in 2018 when Spanish officials accused her of tax evasion totaling 14.5 million euros, or almost $15 million, between 2012 and 2014 — a three-year period during which she claimed she had not yet moved to Spain. A judge determined that prosecutors had amassed sufficient evidence to prosecute tax fraud allegations in court the previous year.
According to El Pas, on Friday, prosecutors announced six allegations against Shakira, 45, after she refused a settlement offer earlier this week. According to the Spanish daily, officials cited the large amount of taxes she allegedly owes and her history of exploiting offshore tax havens as aggravating elements in the case.
The Grammy-winning artist, renowned for hits including “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Waka Waka,” has denied misconduct on many occasions, including during her 2019 court appearance.
The Associated Press reported that Shakira’s publicists in London stated that the singer “has always cooperated and complied with the law, exhibiting excellent conduct as an individual and taxpayer.” Once notified, according to her public relations team in Spain, she immediately repaid the amount she owed to the country’s tax agency. In addition, she deposited three million euros in interest. According to El Pas, prosecutors may consider these payments a mitigating factor when determining the duration of a prospective prison sentence.
The tax fraud charges hinge on Shakira’s residence between 2012 and 2014. She asserts that her tax domicile was in the Bahamas until 2015, when she and her partner, FC Barcelona soccer player Gerard Piqué, moved to Barcelona. (The couple, who have two children together, ended their 11-year relationship last month.)
However, according to Spanish investigators, Shakira spent more than 200 days in each of these three years. For tax reasons, a person who lives in Spain for 184 days or more is considered a tax resident by the Spanish government. These conclusions, initially published by El Pas in 2020, were based on a reconstruction of Shakira’s schedule, including fan and photographer sightings.
According to Reuters, prosecutors also suspect that Shakira purchased property in Barcelona in 2012, which later became the family home she lived with Piqué.
Shakira was among the celebrities whose names featured in the Paradise Papers (2017) and the Pandora Papers (2021) troves of leaked financial documents. Investigations linked her to offshore corporations in tax havens like the British Virgin Islands and Malta.
The prosecutor’s office in Barcelona and her public relations team in Spain did not immediately reply to calls for comment.