The famous Colombian pop star, Shakira has been the subject of a lot of controversy lately. From her ex-partner and former FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique cheating on her to now reportedly expected to lose $26.2 million from her net worth.
While the couple’s turbulent and controversial relationship ended last year, the drama keeps unfolding even to this date. But the disputed and alleged tax evasion case against her has been haunting the Waka Waka singer for almost half a decade.
As per reports, #Shakira faces a prison sentence of over 8-years in Spain over alleged tax fraud charges. However, the singer in a statement, claimed that she is innocent. pic.twitter.com/obCGAutEOu
— Filmfare (@filmfare) July 29, 2022
After years of investigation done by the Spanish government, the trial against her is set to be scheduled to begin in November. The trial will take place in Barcelona, where she lived with ex-partner, Gerard Pique, and is scheduled for 12 sessions across November and December with some 200 witnesses. Given that the verdict goes against her in the trial, Shakira could lose $26.2 million from her net worth.
Everything you need to know about Shakira’s tax fraud controversy
In 2018, Spanish prosecutors accused the famous singer of evading tax. They accused Shakira of not paying taxes between 2012 and 2014 because she spent more than half her time in the country. But according to reports, her official residence was listed as the Bahamas. Defending herself, the 3-time Grammy-winning artist replied that she didn’t move to Spain until 2015.
Shakira is accusing Spanish prosecutors, who sued her for tax fraud, of allegedly launching smear campaign against her.
Her legal team says the star’s not liable for tax penalties, as she only spent 60 of the 187 days in Spain. She also paid $90M to Spain’s version of Uncle Sam. pic.twitter.com/pQ2w0Eh6MJ
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) November 27, 2022
Shakira and her legal team lost the appeal to avoid trial in May 2022 and further rejected a settlement deal offered by the prosecutors. Commenting on the same, Shakira said: “I have to fight for what I believe; because these are false accusations” She further added, “First of all, I didn’t spend 183 days per year at that time at all. I was busy fulfilling my professional commitments around the world. Second, I’ve paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit. So as of today, I owe zero to them,”
As things stand, the prosecutors are asking for an eight-year and two-month sentence in jail for the pop artist along with a fine of $26.2 million. However, the trial could be shortened if Shakira and her team of lawyers reach an agreement with the prosecution, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the State Attorney’s Office, to accept a reduced sentence in exchange for acknowledging the fraud.
Shakira’s Tax Situation, Explained. pic.twitter.com/rnb6zBDTyY
— shakirastuff | fan account (@shakirastuff_) July 29, 2022
Shakira certainly is not the only famous personality to be targeted by the Spanish Tax Authorities. In 2018, 5-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo pleaded guilty in a similar type of case. He paid $22 million as part of the agreement. He even accepted a jail sentence of 2 years. But under Spanish law, first-time tax offenders convicted of a financial crime are spared prison if the sentence is two years or less.