Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira is in hot waters as she is accused of using an offshore company based in a tax haven to avoid paying taxes.
Shakira rose to international fame in the early 2000s with her first English crossover album, “Laundry Service,” thanks in part to Gloria Estefan teaching her English.
Emilio Estefan, Gloria’s husband, recognized Shakira’s potential and became her manager. The album included the hit single “Whenever, Wherever,” propelling Shakira to the title of the Queen of Latin Pop.
She received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award at the MTV Video Music Awards for her significant contributions to popular culture.
However, Shakira has faced legal troubles related to tax evasion. She was initially accused of failing to pay 14.5 million euros in income taxes to the Spanish government between 2012 and 2014, a charge she denied, stating she wasn’t living in Spain during that period. Shakira is set to go to trial for this case in November and could face up to eight years in jail.
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Recently, a second tax claim of 6.6 million euros for the year 2018 was filed against her by a Spanish prosecutor. The new case alleges that Shakira didn’t declare profits of $19.3 million, which she received as an advance payment for her El Dorado World Tour.
Prosecutors argue that she was a Spanish resident in 2018, obligating her to pay taxes on her global income in Spain. They claim she diverted money to low-tax and opaque foreign companies.
Her legal team denies receiving any notification of the new case and is focused on preparing for the 2012-14 fiscal years trial. Shakira had turned down a deal with prosecutors in the earlier case, confident in her transparent conduct.
In recent years, Spanish tax authorities have cracked down on tax evasion among celebrities, including soccer stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. These individuals received sentences under two years, avoiding imprisonment due to legal provisions for first-time offenders.
