Spain charges Shakira with tax evasion for second time, demands $7M<\/b><\/a><\/p>\nSpanish authorities were only able to prove that Shakira lived in Spain that year for a total of 163 days, the court said, ordering the Treasury to reimburse the singer the tax paid plus interest.<\/p>\n
Spain’s tax agency had argued that at the time Shakira was tied to Spain through a relationship with now-retired soccer player Gerard Piqu\u00e9, and had based her main economic activities in the country.<\/p>\n
But the High Court maintained that the relationship could not be legally equated to a marital one, nor was it proven that \u201cthe main center or base\u201d of Shakira’s activities or economic interests in 2011 were directly or indirectly located in Spain.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was never any fraud, and the Tax Agency itself was never able to prove otherwise, simply because it wasn\u2019t true,” Shakira, who had filed an appeal, said in a statement provided by her lawyers.<\/p>\n
Spain’s Treasury is to reimburse the singer 60 million euros (almost $70 million), including interest, Shakira\u2019s lawyer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis resolution comes after an eight-year ordeal that has taken an unacceptable toll, reflecting a lack of rigor in administrative practices,\u201d her attorney, Jos\u00e9 Lu\u00eds Prada, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
In 2023, in a separate tax fraud case, Shakira reached a deal with Spanish prosecutors to avoid a trial over charges that she did not pay Spanish income tax worth 14.5 million euros (then $15.8 million) between 2012 and 2014.<\/p>\n
The singer accepted the charges and was forced to pay 7.3 million euros (then $8 million) in addition to the previously unpaid taxes and interest.<\/p>\n
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | <\/b>Shakira, BTS, Madonna to perform at new World Cup final halftime show<\/b><\/a><\/p>\nThe “Hips Don’t Lie” singer was named in the 2017 \u201cParadise Papers\u201d leaks that detailed the offshore tax arrangements of numerous high-profile individuals, including pop icons Madonna and U2\u2019s Bono.<\/p>\n
Spain’s tax authorities have over the past decade or so cracked down on soccer stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for not paying their full due in taxes. Those players were found guilty of tax evasion but avoided prison time thanks to a provision that allows a judge to waive sentences under two years in length for first-time offenders.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n