Colombian pop star Shakira has been charged by the Spanish government with tax evasion for the second time.
Prosecutors in Spain allege the singer defrauded the state of €6.7m ($7.1m, £5.8m) in 2018.
The tax fraud charges stem from the claim that Shakira spent more than half the year in Spain every year during that period, even though she listed her residence as the Bahamas during her alleged time in Spain.
Spanish tax law stipulates that anyone living in the country for more than six months is considered a resident and must pay taxes.
They say this happened when she failed to declare millions in advance payments for her El Dorado World Tour, among other payments.
Spanish prosecutors opened the second investigation in July 2023, but released the details on Tuesday.
Instead, they were “focused on preparing for the trial for the 2012-14 fiscal years, which will begin on Nov 20,” they told Reuters in a statement.
Tax authorities argue that she instead diverted her money to “companies domiciled in countries with low taxation and high opacity” and claimed that she was living in the Bahamas, when she was actually physically present in Spain.
In that case, she has been accused of failing to pay €14.5m ($15.3m, £12.6m) in tax between 2012 and 2014, but has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
“I am confident that I have enough proof to support my case and that justice will prevail in my favour”, she said in September, in an interview with the Spanish edition of Elle magazine.
Shakira has been linked to Spain since she started dating now-retired soccer player Gerard Pique. The couple, who have two children, lived together in Barcelona until last year, when they ended their 11-year relationship.
Over the past decade, Spanish tax authorities have 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.
Sources: BBC, AP, Rolling Stone, glovalnews.ca.
