Shakira Faces Possible 8-Year Jail Sentence In Spain For Tax Evasion

Shakira is a well-known face in the music industry since the early 2000s. She also enjoys a large following in Spanish-speaking countries as a result of her musical diversity. The Colombian musician is now accused of committing some tax fraud offenses.

Shakira is accused by Spanish prosecutors of defrauding the government of 14.5 million euros ($15 million) in taxes while residing in Spain from 2012 to 2014, according to Reuters. She turned down a settlement offer from the prosecutor’s office earlier this week. According to Reuters, she says that she was not living in Spain at that time.

“ordinarily resident in Spain between 2012 and 2014 and in May 2012 bought a house in Barcelona which became a family home for herself, her partner [Gerard Piqué] and their son [Milan Piqué] born in Spain in 2013.”

Shakira reportedly declared the Bahamas as her official residence at the time, according to Billboard. If she is found guilty, the prosecution is seeking an eight-year prison term as well as a $23.5 million fine. A trial date has not yet been decided.

According to a representative, Shakira “is fully confident of her innocence,” and feels the case is a “total violation of her rights.” Shakira said that she paid the 17.2 million euros that the Spanish tax office claimed she owed at the beginning and that she does not owe the tax office any money. Stay tuned to Thirsty for more updates.

What’s your take on this? Please write down in the comments below!