BARCELONA – If it is up to the Spanish Public Prosecutor’s Office, Shakira will disappear in prison, and behind bars for eight years. In addition, the Public Prosecution Service wants her to pay a fine of €23.5 million.
The Colombian singer, Shakira, is said to have evaded €14.5 million in tax, and if found guilty could face prison. The charges concern the years 2012 and 2014. However, the singer says she has done nothing wrong because she did not live in Spain during that period. Therefore, she would not have been liable for tax. Shakira had been in a relationship with FC Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué since 2011. The couple broke up last month.
Bahamas
Shakira is said to have hidden income of several companies from the Spanish blasting service and spent more than half of the time in Spain during the period in question. According to Shakira’s lawyers, the singer lived in the Bahamas until she settled in Spain in 2015. She has said in a statement that she faces the case “with peace of mind and confidence”.
Tax resident
However, the tax authorities concluded that Shakira spent a total of 243 days in Spain in 2012. The following year it would have been 212 days and in 2014 it was 244 days. For a stay of 183 days or longer, you are classes as a tax resident. Therefore, liable to pay tax in the country according to Spanish law.
No more tax debt
Even though Shakira thinks the €14.5 million assessment is unjustified, she has paid it. She also paid a fine of €3 million. According to her spokesperson in Spain, this means that she no longer has any tax debt in Spain.
Panama Papers
This case against Shakira stems from the Panama Papers that came out in 2017 via international media. These documents revealed that many celebrities used schemes to evade taxes.
The investigation into the Colombian singer’s finances started in 2018. Moreover, a year ago, a Spanish judge ruled that there is sufficient evidence to start a tax fraud case.
