Back when Shakira was with Gerard Pique, she owned a home in Barcelona and that was her main residence and where she raised her children. She also owns homes in her home country of Colombia, the US, Uruguay and other countries. Now that Shakira and Pique are over, she’s moved to Miami full-time and she’s cut her ties with Spain. Except the Spanish tax authorities are still trying to drag her to court over her time spent in Barcelona. This has been going on for a few years now and, from the beginning, it sounded like the Spanish tax authorities are the scammers, not Shakira. Even by the most basic Spanish reporting on the issue, Shakira paid what she owed plus interest. Shakira has also spoken about the tax issue at length in interviews, getting very specific about how many days a year she spent in Spain and how thorough her tax specialists are – she’s worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers for years. Well, funny story…
Shakira is facing a second tax fraud case in Spain. Almost 10 months after the singer, 46, was ordered to stand trial in her $13.9 million tax evasion case in the country, she has now been hit with another investigation.
According to Reuters, a Spanish court said Thursday that it has started a new investigation against the Colombian star linked to alleged fraud on personal income tax and wealth tax in 2018. The court, which is in the town of Esplugues de Llobregat near Barcelona, said it had no information on how much money was in question, according to the Associated Press.
Per a translation from Spanish media outlet El Pais, the court opened a second case as a result of a complaint by the Barcelona Economic Crimes Prosecutor regarding Shakira allegedly defrauding the Tax Agency. Another local outlet, El Periodico, reported that the prosecutor’s office has filed a complaint for two alleged tax crimes.
A representative for Shakira told PEOPLE in a statement Thursday that she “defends having always acted in accordance with the law and under the advice of the best tax experts. She is now focused on her life as an artist in Miami and is confident that there will be a favorable resolution of her tax issues.”
Her representative also said she is yet to receive any formal notification of the second probe regarding the 2018 financial year. The statement continued. “The singer’s legal team will not make any comments until the notification reaches them through the official and legally established channels.”
“As it is publicly known, and as the Spanish Treasury was officially notified, Shakira is now living in Miami, so she must be notified personally at her new address, in strict accordance with the provisions of the Law.”
I feel sorry for Shakira and I’m glad she got the hell out of Spain. They’re trying to make an example out of her, they’re trying to tie her up in court for years, they’re trying to wear her down and jam her up. It also looks like they’re mad that she left the country. It’s very Meghan Markle-coded, right? The anger towards a “foreigner,” the otherizing, the need to make an example out of her. Shakira has been handling all of this the right way, in my opinion – she’s been open about what they’re doing and she’s provided details through her reps and in her own interviews. She also believes that the Spanish government has executed a smear campaign against her, and it’s easy to see why she believes that.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- Viktor & Rolf show arrivals during Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris, France. Featuring: Shakira Where: Paris, France When: 05 Jul 2023 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Viktor & Rolf show arrivals during Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris, France. Featuring: Shakira Where: Paris, France When: 05 Jul 2023 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Arrivals for Fendi Haute couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week. Featuring: Shakira Where: Paris, France When: 06 Jul 2023 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Why are they so fixated on her?
I like that white outfit but vote no to the big letters N O on it. LOL
It’s a replica of an iconic Viktor & Rolf coat from their 2008 couture show that the brand re-made for her in white.
There is always one misogynistic male behind every hateful campaign like this. I am sure we would be able to find him if we dig for a bit.
God I’m so glad she has gotten out of that country. They definitely seem to have it out for her and I also wonder if it has to do with her ex and how public their split has been.
They’re angry that she took her money and left the country.
This is disgusting harassment by a Govt body, that are big mad that she didn’t come to heel and keep filling their coffers.
Maybe they need to look into Pique’s affairs.
There is a distinct Duchess Meghan othering going on here. No matter how wealthy, talented and beautiful these women are they are not WHITE. They are not us.
The outfit is a lot but I think she looks fabulous.
Other celebrities have said that Spain likes to do this to celebrities. Its like holding them to ransom “pay us this or we will drag you through court” or risk jail time. I’m glad she’s standing up for herself.
“Shakira is now living in Miami, so she must be notified personally at her new address, in strict accordance with the provisions of the Law.”
Yeah, and if even if she has complied with the law that says she should have informed of any change of address, the certified letter wouldn’t arrive to her Miami address in less than 24 hours so her lawyer is being disingenious here.
But anyway, it’s always funny seeing people fiercely defend Shakira online when they know shit about Hacienda and how Spanish taxes work. Yep, she’s totally being persecuted, there’s no way a very rich person has ever worked hard to avoid paying taxes.
I purposefully did not comment on the tax situation because while I love Shakira as a celebrity I also know that rich people hate paying taxes. I don’t really want to think about a world in which there are so many genuinely bad men skating by and Shakira is convicted of tax fraud. That’s my bias and I own it.
Yeah. My understanding is her team rejected settlement talks last year but preemptively paid millions to “clear the debt.” That does not mean the authorities have to agree that she paid the correct amount or that she doesn’t owe penalties on top of the taxes. And honestly, paying millions years later sure makes it look like she didn’t pay taxes when she should have. Plus, Spain has claimed her team has used shell companies in Malta to hide sources of income & other assets. I think they only went after Shakira because her name came up in the Paradise Papers.
And lots of wealthy people rely on “advice of the best tax experts” in order to reduce or avoid their tax burdens. It’s not the flex they think it is.
Wasn’t she also named in the Pandora and Paradise papers? Honestly, I’ll never be able to cry over a multimillionaire being forced to pay more taxes.
It’s so weird to me, how people ignore facts. Is it because her partner cheated, or because they like her as performer? Tax fraud is a serious crime, just because she paid the taxes years later doesn’t mean all is good and forgotten.
She lived in Spain longterm with her partner, she raised her children there. She had no problem using their infrastructure. But when it came to paying taxes, her residence was in Bahamas? I’m honestly side eying anyone who is trying to game the system the way she did.
In Argentina we call this “hecha la ley, hecha la trampa” which basically means that if the law states a fixed amount of days she had to reside in Spain in order to pay certain % of taxes, and she spent less than those days in Spain then the law in itself agrees with her, regardless of her children’s nationality, her then-partner’s city of residence and the number of properties she owns anywhere in the world.
It sucks but, again, “hecha la ley, hecha la trampa”.
What does Argentinian law have to do with her Spanish taxes?
And that “fixed amount of days” is fine and all, but you can’t game the system. Usually when you travel around, there’s bilateral agreements between the different countries, and the place you spent 6 months and 1 day at is the one that taxes you. But you can’t say “I spent 4 months in Spain, 4 in the US and 4 in the Bahamas”. You have to declare a main place of residence. And the “center of your economic interests” matters in the taxing authority’s decision too, so in her case, even if technically, she was spending less than 6 months a year in Spain – which I doubt -, she still had a house there, her family, her kids’ school… So Spain was the legitimate taxing authority.
Pay your taxes, Shakira.
I love her whole outfit, including the shoes. I’m glad she’s playing the field and meeting with desirable, hot men. Just recently she met the Miami Heat’s superstar Jimmy Butler for a late night dinner in London. I find Jimmy super-hot, funny and a very nice guy. I hope things work out for her with him, whatever it turns out to be. She’s been through A LOT and she needs down time. Although, I am so jealous she’s with my crush Jimmy.
Like or hate her, you can’t deny how this looks like a witch hunt!! Why they asking for a payment from 2012-14??!!why did it take them so long to figure it out??! For those saying it’s because her name came up om paradise papers repot, that was yearssss ago!!! Surely they would’ve demand it sooner. I feel like it’s retaliation because she ditched Spain and moved to miami