Shakira, the Colombian superstar Shakira has reached a settlement with Spanish prosecutors, agreeing to pay millions of euros in fines to settle her tax fraud case and avoid a trial. The 46-year-old singer will receive a three-year suspended sentence and pay 7.3 million euros ($7.98 million) as part of the deal. The settlement was announced at the start of what would have been the trial for Shakira.
The case revolved around Shakira’s residency in Spain between 2012 and 2014, with authorities alleging that she spent more than half of that period in Spain and should have paid taxes in the country. Shakira, however, denied the charges, stating that she only moved to Spain full-time in 2015.
Shakira’s lawyers argued that until 2014, she led a “nomadic life” and earned most of her income from international tours. The settlement comes with a statement from Shakira, expressing her decision to settle for the sake of her two sons and to move past the stress of the legal proceedings.
The singer’s trial had been expected to run until December 14, with nearly 120 witnesses scheduled to testify. Questions about Shakira’s finances had been raised previously, including her mention in the “Pandora Papers,” one of the largest-ever leaks of financial documents in October 2021.
Spain has recently taken a strict stance on celebrities regarding taxes, with football stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo facing charges and Shakira’s former partner, Gerard Pique, being convicted of tax fraud in 2016. Despite the legal challenges, Shakira recently won three awards at the Latin Grammy Awards in Seville, including Song of the Year and Best Pop Song.
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