A tax fraud lawsuit has been filed against the pop icon Shakira by the Spanish Law Enforcement. According to the lawsuit, the singer has been accused of tax evasion for the period between 2012 to 2014 during which she failed to pay approximately USD14.4 million in taxes. Shakira currently faces six counts of alleged tax fraud.
The Spanish Government has filed a lawsuit against Shakira for alleged tax fraud
The high-profile lawsuit has made headlines globally as the Spanish prosecutor alleged Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll for the dispute. The trial is expected to begin on November 20, later this month. While the Hips Don’t Lie singer has pleaded guilty in the case, she could face years in prison if found guilty along with a hefty fine.
The case started back in December 2018 and claimed that the singer and dancer had evaded taxes worth USD 14.4 million. However, according to the Associated Press, the singer had listed that her primary residence was The Bahamas during the time period in question. The authorities, however, have claimed that between 2012 and 2014, the singer resided in Spain with her ex-husband Gerad Pique. They mentioned that she only traveled abroad for short periods of time for work commitments.
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Shakira pleads guilty of any wrongdoing in the tax evasion case
According to trial attorney Jesse Bolling who isn’t involved with the case, it was communicated to Good Morning America that, “The general rule in Spain is, for each year, if you reside, if you’re domiciled in Spain, you owe taxes. Domiciled is defined, for the most part, as being there for more than half the year. You’re supposed to keep a diary or a calendar of where you are on every day.” He added, “She just needs to prove she wasn’t there, and the Spanish tax authority will try to rebut that.”
The singer’s public relations firm has claimed that during the time, she has filed her taxes in The Bahamas. She has also paid off tax money that was owed to the Spanish Government with taxes. During the hearing in June 2019, she denied any wrongdoings.
Disclaimer: All amounts mentioned in the article are sourced from public platforms. In some cases, celebrities or their teams give their inputs too, which we incorporate if provided by them. We take all efforts to share possible accurate numbers, however unless otherwise mentioned they are all approximates. We are open to feedback and suggestions on editorial@pinkvilla.com.
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