Latin music sensation and Grammy award-winner Shakira could face an eight-year jail term for tax evasion.
Documents filed Friday by Spanish prosecutors seek eight years in jail for Shakira’s involvement in a €14.5 million tax fraud case, according to Reuters. The singer is accused of failing to pay her taxes for the 2012 to 2014 tax periods, but Shakira insists she was not a resident of Spain during that time. She rejected a settlement offer to close the case earlier this week, according to Reuters.
Shakira facing call for 8-year jail term in tax-fraud case https://t.co/u1eoaWpzrk pic.twitter.com/UlNCEHlQpb
— New York Post (@nypost) July 29, 2022
The prosecutor asserts that Shakira was living in Spain regularly during the tax years in question, and highlights her purchase of a Barcelona home in May 2012 for use as a family home including for her son, who was born in Spain a year later, according to Reuters. In addition to the prison sentence, the documents are requesting that Shakira pay a fine of more than €23 million, which is equivalent to $23.5 million, if she is found to be guilty, the outlet reported.
Shakira’s representatives issued a statement Wednesday, which revealed the artist is “fully confident of her innocence” and views the allegations of tax fraud as a “a total violation of her rights,” according to Reuters. (RELATED: Reality TV Stars Found Guilty Of Tax Evasion And Bank Fraud)
A Spanish prosecutor has asked for more than eight years in prison for Colombian superstar Shakira and a fine of more than $23.5 million in a tax fraud case, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported https://t.co/PBXXxZTI9j
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 29, 2022
Shakira was previously asked to pay a €17.2 million tax payment to the Spanish tax office for taxes owing, and insists she settled that outstanding debt, according to Reuters.
A trial date has not yet been set nor have the settlement terms of the earlier offer been disclosed.