Pop star Shakira has been accused of tax evasion in Spain for allegedly failing to pay $7.1 million (6.7 million euros) in taxes in 2018. She has been charged with tax fraud for the second time by the Spanish government, BBC reported.
Barcelona prosecutors said that she failed to declare millions in advance payments for her El Dorado World Tour, among other payments. The prosecutors opened the second investigation in July 2023 but just released the details.
Shakira has opted to go to trial in November in Barcelona in a case where she denies failing to pay 14.5 million euros in tax for the period 2012-14, for which she could be jailed for up to eight years, Reuters reported.
The 46-year-old, who has sold millions of records worldwide, is accused of failing to pay 5.4 million euros in income tax, and is calculated to owe 6.0 million after taking into account accrued interest but also voluntary payments.
She is also accused of defrauding the state of 773,600 euros in wealth tax, resulting in a debt of 625,190 euros.
Shakira's legal team told Reuters that she had not received any notification of the new case in Miami, where she is now based. "Shakira's legal team is focused on preparing for the trial for the 2012-14 fiscal years, which will begin on November 20," it said in an emailed statement.
The singer turned down a deal with prosecutors in the 2012-14 case, saying she was confident that she had behaved correctly and transparently from the beginning.
"I am confident that I have enough proof to support my case and that justice will prevail in my favour", Shakira said in September, in an interview with the Spanish edition of Elle magazine.
