Shakira is currently on trial in Spain for tax fraud. She is accused of evading €14.5 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014. Shakira has denied the allegations, and her trial is expected to last several weeks. However, if found guilty, Shakira could face up to eight years in prison and a fine of €24 million.
Colombian singer Shakira is facing trial in Barcelona over allegations of tax fraud. Spanish prosecutors are seeking a jail term of more than eight years and a fine of nearly 24 million euros ($24 million) for the Grammy-winning artist. The singer, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, moved to Miami after their separation.
They claim she defrauded Spain of 14.5 million euros ($15.7 million) in income earned between 2012 and 2014, a charge Shakira denies. The case revolves around the time she spent in Spain during that period, with authorities arguing she should have paid taxes in the country. Shakira’s trial is set to last until December 14, and she may not attend all hearings. The trial is expected to last several weeks. A verdict is expected to be handed down in early 2024.
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The prosecution alleges she used companies in tax havens to avoid paying taxes in Spain. Shakira’s defense argues that she only moved to Spain full-time in 2015, after leading a “nomadic life” until 2014. The trial is expected to reveal details about her private life, and Spanish prosecutors have conducted a thorough investigation with nearly 120 witnesses scheduled to testify.
Questions about Shakira’s finances emerged in the “Pandora Papers” leak in 2021, linking her to wealth and tax avoidance in the Bahamas. Spain has previously taken legal action against celebrities like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for tax evasion.
Shakira’s ex-partner, Gerard Pique, faced tax fraud charges in 2016. Despite the legal challenges, Shakira recently won three awards at the Latin Grammy Awards. Her hit track, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” aims to Pique and includes a reference to a “debt to the tax office.”