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Shakira, a Colombian pop artist, is accused of tax fraud, and a Spanish court on Tuesday authorized her trial.
In 2018, Spanish authorities charged the artist with evading taxes on 14.5 million euros ($13.9 million) of revenue received between 2012 and 2014. If she is found guilty of tax evasion, the prosecution will ask for an eight-year prison term and a sizable fine.
Shakira, 45, has strongly denied any wrongdoing and turned down a plea bargain offer from the government to avoid going to trial. She reportedly previously paid the whole amount she owed, plus an additional 3 million euros ($2.8 million) in interest, according to her public relations company.
Shakira will be charged with six tax fraud charges, according to the Esplugues de Llobregat court, which is located close to Barcelona. The trial’s start date hasn’t been determined yet.
Shakira’s residence from 2012 to 2014 is key to the argument. Even though her legal residence was in the Bahamas, the Grammy winner allegedly spent more than half of that time in Spain and should have paid taxes there.
Shakira, whose real name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has been associated with Spain since she began dating soccer player Gerard Pique. The couple, who have two kids, formerly shared a home in Barcelona but recently broke their 11-year relationship.
For failing to pay their fair share of taxes, Spain has cracked down on soccer players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo over the previous ten years. Despite being found guilty of evasion, they were both spared jail time due to a rule that permits judges to waive first-time offenders’ sentences of up to two years in duration.
