Shakira has lashed out at the tax authorities in Spain, calling them “salivating” at the idea of taking her money in light of the singer’s ongoing legal issues.
If found guilty on all six counts of tax fraud, the 45-year-old singer of “Hips Don’t Lie” could spend up to eight years in prison.
Shakira is being prosecuted in Spain on six distinct counts of tax fraud totaling 14.5 million euros (£12.2 million). The prosecution is seeking the harshest sentence imaginable.
State prosecutors want the mother-of-two to receive a 23 million euro (£19.2 million) fine in addition to an eight-year prison term.
Despite relocating to Barcelona in 2011 to be with her then-boyfriend, 35-year-old Spanish defender and Barcelona player Gerard Pique, the Colombian-born singer is accused of faking to reside overseas in order to avoid paying taxes.
She has previously given the Spanish taxman an estimated three million euros (£2.5 million).
Shakira was the subject of a year-long investigation by tax authorities, who even paid a visit to her favorite Barcelona hair salon and looked through her social media to try to prove that she spent the majority of the three years at issue there.
They came to the conclusion that she had stayed in Spain for 242 days in 2012, 212 days in 2013, and 243 days in 2014.
Prior to registering for taxes in Spain in 2015, the singer, who gained international notoriety in 2001 with her popular song “Wherever, Whenever,” was considered a resident of the Bahamas for tax purposes.
She criticized prosecutors for conducting a witch hunt against her in an interview with the magazine Elle.
“While Gerard and I were dating, I was on a world tour,” she said. “I spent more than 240 days outside of Spain, so there was no way I qualified as a resident.
“The Spanish tax authorities saw that I was dating a Spanish citizen and started to salivate.”
She added: “It’s clear they wanted to go after that money no matter what.”
When Spanish prosecutors say Shakira was residing in Spain, she continued to work nonstop abroad, but tax authorities “still came after me, with their eyes on the prize.”
She stated that it was “a matter of principle” for her to reject a plea agreement and go to trial instead.Shakira claims she did nothing wrong.
Shakira claims she did nothing wrong. This year, the singer has also experienced difficulties in her personal life.
She and Pique separated in June after 11 years of marriage. Two kids were born to the couple.
The singer, who Pique first met in 2010 on the production of the music video for her official World Cup hit “Waka Waka,” is accused of cheating on him.
It was made public last month that the defender is dating Clara Chia Marti, a 23-year-old student.
Shakira and Pique split up for what reason?
As rumors about the breakup of Shakira, the Colombian pop singer, and Gerard Pique, the Barcelona defender, linger, the singer’s former brother-in-law Roberto Garcia has said he knows the truth.
According to Garcia, an ex-boyfriend of one of Shakira’s sisters, Pique and Shakira’s issues started over money.
He asserted that Pique had requested Shakira for a loan so he could use the money to invest in other businesses, but the children’s mother declined to do so since her parents advised against it.
Garcia told Spanish media outlet EsDiario: “According to what a person very close to them has told me, there has been an economic problem between the two. Supposedly, Piqué would have asked Shakira for money for an investment issue, and the singer’s family has refused to give it to him.”
“They don’t mix their money, and they keep the family economy at 50%.”
He added, “Shakira fixed on Piqué because she liked him to be the father of her children. She knew she would never marry him.”
Shakira and Pique, who started dating in 2010, broke up in June. Milan and Sasha are the couple’s two sons.
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