Superstar singer Shakira is facing a second investigation concerning alleged tax fraud in Spain with state prosecutors looking into possible tax breaches allegedly committed by the Colombian singer in 2018.
According to the formal statement by a spokesman for Catalonia’s High Court of Justice “Court of Instruction Number 2 in Esplugues de Llobregat has opened a procedure following a complaint presented by prosecutors against the singer Shakira for two suspected tax crimes corresponding to her 2018 tax returns.”
Born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, Shakira was previously accused of failing to pay taxes in Spain between 2012 and 2014. Local officials argued that she spent more than 183 days in their country within those two years, declaring her a resident for tax purposes, though her team insisted that her main residence was in the Bahamas.
Following the end of her relationship with Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué, the now 46-year old songstress, who relocated to Florida in April, is expected to return to Barcelona later this year to stand trial on November 20th.
The new investigation will be conducted by a judge at a court in Esplugues de Llobregat, the same court that launched the previous examination into Shakira’s taxes. According to the publication, Metro, an official said the new alleged offenses relate to income tax and VAT returns.
In an interview with ELLE magazine in September, Shakira explained that she is choosing to fight the allegations in court rather than privately settle the case as “a matter of principle” statingL
“Because I have to fight for what I believe; because these are false accusations,” she stated. “First of all, I didn’t spend 183 days per year at that time at all. I was busy fulfilling my professional commitments around the world. Second, I’ve paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit. So as of today, I owe zero to them.”
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Ana Carolina Kley Vita