Shakira Faces Grim Possibility In Upcoming Tax Fraud Trial

Shakira's legal battle with Spain over their assertion that she evaded paying taxes owed to them continues to heat up. The singer was first accused of tax evasion in 2018 when the Spanish tax authority claimed that she withheld 14.5 million euros in taxes between 2012 and 2014. Shakira first claimed that she was living primarily in the Bahamas; however, the government accused of her secretly living in Barcelona with her then-partner Gerard Piqué, per USA Today. According to The Sun, any resident of Spain is required to pay taxes regardless of the country where they made their money. This means that, if Shakira was actually living in Spain for the majority of the year, they're entitled to their fair share of her overall income. And while Shakira listed Spain on her taxes in 2015, the authorities determined, after a year's long investigation, that the singer spent 242, 212, and 243 days in Spain in 2012, 2013, and 2014 respectively.

Over this four-year ordeal, Shakira has adamantly defended her innocence and stated that she'd already paid Spain any money owed to them, in addition interest to payments that totaled out to 3 million euros, per the Associated Press. In July, the "Beautiful Liar" singer also rejected a plea deal which would've allowed her to settle the matter without getting a jury involved. However, she decided to fight the case and have her day in court. Now, Shakira's legal issues are only getting more serious. 

Now that Shakira has rejected Spain's plea deal, it appears the government is playing hardball. On September 27, a Spanish judge gave the go-ahead for Shakira's tax evasion case to go to trial. If she loses, she could spend up to eight years in prison and shell out an unnamed sum in fines, not including her legal fees. Per the report, Shakira has officially been charged with six counts of tax fraud, despite her court date not yet being set, per the Associated Press. 

Despite the Spanish authorities upping the ante regarding Shakira's tax case, she seems confident that fighting this is the right way to go. While doing a profile with Elle, Shakira shared that her reasoning for fighting all comes down to her principles. "Because I have to fight for what I believe; because these are false accusations," shared Shakira. The singer went on to state that she'd paid what she'd owed Spain before the lawsuit and "owed them 0." Shakira also stated that Spain's government regularly unfairly targets not only "celebrities like me (or [Cristiano] Ronaldo, Neymar, [Xabi] Alonso, and many more), it also happens unjustly to the regular taxpayer. It's just their style. But I'm confident that I have enough proof to support my case and that justice will prevail in my favor." 

Only time will tell what actually ends up happening with Shakira's tax scandal.