In Barcelona, the Public Prosecution Service has proposed dismissing a tax fraud case against Colombian singer Shakira.
Shakira was accused of failing to declare an amount of €6.6 million related to Spanish income tax (IRPF) and wealth tax in the 2018 tax year.
Insufficient evidence
According to a statement from the Public Prosecution Service, which previously filed charges against Shakira, there is insufficient evidence that the singer actually committed the crimes mentioned. Shakira’s defense supported this position. They also asked for the case to be dismissed at the court in Esplugues de Llobregat, a municipality near Barcelona.
Possible administrative handling
Although the Public Prosecution Service sees no evidence for a criminal prosecution, the possibility remains open that the Spanish tax authorities and the Catalan tax authorities can administratively claim the taxes owed. This means that Shakira may still be confronted with a financial claim.
Previous conflict and settlement
Shakira had previously paid a fine of €7.8 million in November last year after an agreement with the Public Prosecution Service and the tax authorities. With that settlement, she avoided a prison sentence. This was for another case, in which she was accused of evading €14.5 million between 2012 and 2014. The singer previously claimed not to have lived in Spain at that time. Although she already lived with Piqué, she said she only travelled to Barcelona sporadically. Her argument was she only settled in Barcelona at the end of 2014, when her eldest son went to school.
Continuous developments
These cases received a lot of media attention. More so because of Skakira’s celebrity as a singer and former wife of footballer Gerard Piqué. Furthermore, the cases shed light on the tax responsibilities that international artists also have.