(Barcelona) Spanish justice began new proceedings for tax irregularities in 2018 against Colombian singer Shakira, who is already to be tried in the coming months for fraud between 2012 and 2014.
“The Court of Esplugues de Llobregat opened proceedings after the complaint filed by the public prosecutor’s office against the singer Shakira for two alleged offenses against the Public Treasury regarding income tax and wealth tax in 2018,” the Catalonian High Court said in a statement on Thursday.
In a press release sent to AFP, the entourage of the artist, who after several years spent in Spain now resides in Miami, insisted on his innocence, ensuring that the singer had not yet been officially informed of this new case.
“Once again, as has been the case for all these years, it was through the media that the singer learned of the launch of this procedure, which highlights the media and reputational pressure to which she is subjected,” her representatives said.
“Shakira has always acted within the law and under the advice of the best tax experts,” they insisted, adding that the singer “is now focused on her artistic life in Miami and is calm and confident about the outcome of these tax lawsuits.”
Already accused of having evaded 14.5 million euros ($21.3 million) from the Spanish tax authorities between 2012 and 2014, the star will be tried for this first part by a court in Barcelona, probably from November.
The prosecution accuses the singer with more than 60 million albums sold of not having declared a large part of her income from her tours abroad during the period 2012-2014 when she lived in Spain more than 183 days a year, threshold from which it is mandatory to declare her tax residence in the country.
According to the prosecution, Shakira had been living in Spain since 2011, when her relationship with FC Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique was made public, but had maintained her tax residence in the Bahamas Islands, considered a tax haven, until 2015.
The prosecution is seeking more than eight years in prison and a fine of around 24 million euros ($35 million).
The 46-year-old artist, famous for her international hits such as Hips don’t Lie, Whenever, Wherever and Waka Waka, has always denied these accusations and claimed that she was constantly on the move due to her profession.
In an interview with ELLE magazine in September, the singer believed that she “owed nothing” to the tax authorities and that “these accusations are false”.
“The tax authorities saw that I was in a relationship with a Spanish citizen and started salivating. It is clear that they wanted this money no matter what,” she added.
The Colombian’s private life came to the fore in June 2022 when she separated from former Barça footballer Gerard Piqué, with whom she had been in a relationship for more than ten years and with whom she had two children.
After reaching an agreement on custody of their children, Shakira moved with them to Miami.
“I moved to Barcelona to give my children stability, the very stability we now seek in another place in the world, close to family, friends and the sea,” she wrote in April on Instagram, when announcing her departure from Spain.
