Shakira could reportedly be facing up to eight years in prison if she is found guilty of an alleged $14.6 million tax fraud. The Latina pop sensation — full name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll — has been charged in Spain with six counts of defrauding the state between 2012 and 2014, with prosecutors demanding an additional $23.1 million penalty. This comes after the Colombian-born mother-of-two rejected an out-of-court settlement in a deal that would have involved her admitting wrongdoing. The 45-year-old songstress has reportedly already repaid the money she allegedly owes the treasury, along with interest amounting to $3.65 million.
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The charges against Shakira were contained in an indictment filed by prosecutors to the investigating court near Barcelona, and have now been made public. The singing sensation is accused of pretending to live abroad while using a complex offshore corporate structure to avoid taxes between 2012 and 2014, when she was in a relationship with soccer star Gerard Pique who lives and plays in Barcelona.
The couple split earlier this year amid rumors that Pique was unfaithful to his wife. Shakira, who has two children with the star athlete, allegedly tried to rekindle the relationship multiple times but was rebuffed by Pique. The pair eventually confirmed their separation, but seems to have remained on civil terms as they have been spotted attending their children's sports games together.
Shakira was previously a tax resident in the Bahamas and only registered as a full tax resident in Spain in 2015. Official residents in Spain are required to pay state taxes on their worldwide income. Those who spend more than 183 days in a given calendar year in Spain are considered Spanish residents for tax purposes. Reports suggest tax inspectors spent more than a year investigating Shakira, even visiting her go-to hairdressers in Barcelona and scouring her social media to prove that she spent most of those three years, from 2012 to 2014, in Spain. The officials eventually concluded she had spent 242 days in Spain in 2012, 212 days in 2013, and 243 days in 2014. According to the report submitted by prosecutors, the time she spent out of Spain were sporadic absences that were work-related.
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It's worth noting that Shakira has strongly denied any wrongdoing. She believes in her innocence and has opted to leave the issue in the hands of the law, her PR firm Llorente y Cuenca said in a statement earlier this week. A date for the trial is yet to be announced, as some legal analysts predicted the star could still strike an eleventh-hour deal before she is asked to take the stand.
In May, Shakira and Pique announced they had officially parted ways after 11 years together. The news came amid unconfirmed reports the soccer star was unfaithful to her. The exes have allegedly been spending the past couple of weeks discussing the future of their two children, considering the singer wants to relocate to Miami with them, the Daily Mail reported.