Despite the law, the Colombian pop artist has not given up and has persisted in defending herself. Instead of accepting a bargain that Spanish prosecutors offered to resolve the allegations, Shakira elected to go to court.
With regard to taxes, the celebrity defrauded the Spanish government of $15 million. According to a statement from PR company Llorente y Cuenca, Shakira is certain of her guilt and has chosen to let the legal system handle the situation.
Using revenue from 2012 to 2014 as the basis, Spanish prosecutors accused the singer of tax cheating in 2018. If found guilty of tax evasion, she risks fines and jail time.
The singer’s residence from 2012 to 2014 has a significant impact on the proceedings’ specifics. Shakira’s official house is in the Bahamas, but according to the prosecution, she spent the majority of her time there.
On the bargain the prosecutors proposed, no specifics were immediately available. There is no definite date for the trial.
According to Shakira’s public relations agency, she has paid the alleged debt to the Spanish Tax Agency and has no outstanding tax obligations.
The case depends on her residence from 2012 to 2014. However, despite Shakira’s formal residency being in the Bahamas, the prosecution claims that it was mostly in Spain.
Two children were born to Shakira and Barcelona soccer player Gerard Piqué, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll. The couple, who had been together for 11 years, had previously lived together in Barcelona.
If she is found guilty of evading taxes, she might be sentenced to a fine and to prison. The 45-year-old singer Shakira “trusted her innocence and chose to put the issue in the hands of the authorities,” according to a statement from the PR agency Llorente y Cuenca.