Shakira faces more than 8 years in prison if convicted of tax fraud in Spain

On Friday, prosecutors revealed six charges against Shakira, 45, after she rejected a settlement deal earlier this week. I mentioned El Pais. According to the Spanish newspaper, the authorities have highlighted the large amount of taxes allegedly owed on it, as well as its record of using offshore tax havens, as aggravating factors in the case.

Grammy Award winning artist, famous for hit songs like “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Waka Waka”, to reject She committed wrongdoing on several occasions, including while testifying in court in 2019.

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Shakira advocates in London He said The Associated Press reported that the singer “always cooperated and adhered to the law, exhibiting impeccable behavior as an individual and as a taxpayer.” Spain’s PR team said it immediately paid the amount owed to it to the country’s tax authority as soon as it was notified. It also deposited an additional 3 million euros in interest. El Pais reported that the payments may be considered a mitigating circumstance by prosecutors when it comes to a possible prison sentence.

The tax fraud charges depend on where Shakira lived from 2012 to 2014. She claims that her tax residence was in the Bahamas until 2015, when she moved to Barcelona with her partner, Barcelona footballer, Gerard Pique. (The couple who had two kids together, last month announce the end from their 11-year relationship.)

But according to Spanish investigators, Shakira allegedly spent more than 200 days in the country in each of those three years. The Spanish government requires that an individual who stays in the country for 184 days or more is considered a resident for tax purposes. These results are first published By El País in 2020, based on a reconstruction of Shakira’s schedule, such as public views by fans and photographers.

Prosecutors also allege that Shakira bought a property in Barcelona in 2012, which later became the family home she shared with Pique, Reuters mentioned.

Shakira was among the celebrities whose names appeared in two large sets of leaked financial documents. Paradise Leaves In 2017 and pandora leaves in 2021. Investigations linked it to offshore companies in tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands and Malta.

Spain’s public relations team and Barcelona’s public prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.