Shakira Faces New Major Consequences In Tax Fraud Scandal
In 2018, Shakira was charged in Spain for not paying 14.5 million euros worth of taxes between 2012 and 2014, according to The Guardian. At the time, the singer claimed that she was living in the Bahamas full-time. However, she was actually living in Barcelona, Spain, with her now ex-boyfriend and children, and reportedly did not pay taxes in the country where she was residing. According to USA Today, prosecutors in Spain claimed that she lived in the country for two years — outside of occasional professional commitments in other countries — and needed to pay taxes on her income.
Before being charged with tax evasion, Shakira's lawyer said in a statement (via People), "Throughout [Shakira's] professional career and, in every case, has fully met the laws of all the jurisdictions where she has resided."
Shakira was officially charged with tax evasion in December 2018, according to the Daily Mail, after prosecutors investigated the singer for over a year. As a result, she will have to go on trial for the charges soon, although no date has been set yet, per Reuters. Both Shakira and her team have insisted she's innocent for the past four years, but she'll now face major consequences if convicted.
Shakira may face prison time
New information is available to the public following Shakira's six tax evasion charges in Spain. According to USA Today, she will be sentenced to prison time and fined $24 million if convicted of tax fraud during her upcoming trial in Spain. A prosecutor's office document obtained by Reuters reveals that prosecutors are asking that she be sentenced to over eight years in prison if found guilty. Earlier this week, the singer rejected a plea deal and decided to move forward with the trial, per NBC New York.
A representative for Shakira told Reuters that Shakira "is fully confident of her innocence" and that the charges are a "total violation of her rights." Her PR firm, Llorente y Cuenca, said in a statement (via Billboard) that the singer also "trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law."
According to the AP, Shakira's publicists claim that she has paid the money she owes to the Spanish government, including $3 million in interest, and no longer owes them money. It's unclear when the singer will actually go to trial in Spain, but the legal documents recently filed may hint that it will occur soon.