A Spanish judge charged with tax fraud against Shakira took the Colombian singer’s case to court on Thursday.
Judge Marco Goberias said the three-year investigation found evidence that the pop star could have evaded his tax liability to the state. As he said, there is enough evidence of the crime to prosecute the case.
The decision can be appealed.
In 2019, the singers were accused of tax fraud worth 14.5 million euros (4.5 billion forints). According to the prosecution, the singer actually lived in Spain between 2011 and 2014, but did not pay taxes. However, the measure only applies to the period from 2012 to 2014, since in 2011 any misconduct was already prohibited.
The pop star has been living with Spanish football star Gerard Pique since 2010, and the couple has two sons. However, Shakira only specified Catalonia as his place of residence in 2015, and before that he had registered arrival in the Bahamas. According to the prosecutor’s office, this does not correspond to reality.
According to the authorities, during the period under investigation, Shakira had to levy taxes in Spain not only on his income in Spain but also on his entire income as a Spanish taxpayer.
The star questioned the legitimacy of this claim when he was called in 2019. He claimed that during that time he had not lived in Spain for more than half a year and that most of his income was not generated in Spain.
However, according to her PR firm, the singer paid her tax arrears as soon as she found out about it. He transferred €20 million in 2018 for his 2011 tax debt and interest, then paid an additional €14.5 million for the other three years.
If found guilty of tax evasion, they could face fines and even jail time. However, for first-time offenders, the court may waive the prison sentence to be carried out if the person is sentenced to less than two years.
Shakira is one of the most successful Latin American singers of all time. His biggest hits include Hips Don’t Lie and Everyever, Wherever. MTI remembers Waka was the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
