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Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie, But Her Tax Forms Do.

World famous Columbian pop singer, Shakira, could be facing up to 8 years in Spanish prison for tax fraud.  Shakira, who is legally known as Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, is facing 6 charges for allegedly failing to pay the Spanish Government almost $15 million in taxes from the years 2012 through 2014.  Prosecutors say they are seeking a fine upwards of $24 million.

More Details

This is expected to go to a trial after the singer rejected a settlement deal offered by prosecutors, however, a trial date has not been set yet. If she does get convicted, she is expected to be handed a sentence of 8 years and 2 months. The singer “trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law,” her public relations firm Llorente y Cuenca said in a July 27 statement, “Shakira was charged by prosecutors in December of 2018 after allegedly failing to pay millions in taxes to the Spanish government. “

She had listed her official residence in the Bahamas for tax purposes during the years 2012-2014, but the prosecutors say she was really living in Spain with her (now ex) husband, Spanish soccer player Gerard Pique, who is the father of her 2 children.

Shakira’s Response

In 2019, Shakira testified before a judge as part of the investigation into her alleged tax evasion and denied doing anything wrong. Her PR firm stated that the singer paid all of the money that she owed, with interest upon her knowledge of the situation. The case relies on whether or not she lived in the Bahamas during the years in question (2012-2014).

What is the case about?

This case ultimately comes down to counting how many days in a year a person has lived in Spain, before being considered a “tax resident” says Douglas S. Stransky. “Is one considered a resident of a country by buying a house in that country even if that person is only there for four days?” Stransky says. “I think in this case it is true that Shakira did spend time in Spain, but the real question is whether she spent enough time there to be considered a tax resident of the country.”

Wrap Up

Whether or not the Spanish Government has enough evidence of tax evasion to put Shakira behind bars, remains to be seen. There is enough evidence of wrongdoing to warrant a trial that has yet to report an official date. We will keep a close watch of how this case plays out!

 
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