Shakira owes $9.6m in second Spanish tax fraud case, prosecutor says

MADRID – A Spanish prosecutor has lodged a second tax claim against Colombian singer Shakira, accusing her of defrauding the state of €6.6 million (S$9.6 million) in 2018, according to a request to the investigating court seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Known as the Queen of Latin Pop, Shakira has opted to go to trial in November in Barcelona in a case where she denies failing to pay €14.5 million in tax for the period 2012-14.

If found guilty, she could be jailed for up to eight years.

In the new case, the prosecutor alleges that in 2018, Shakira failed to declare profits of US$12.5 million (S$17 million) from an advance payment for her El Dorado World Tour, among others.

At the time, she was in a relationship with FC Barcelona soccer star Gerard Pique and living in the city with their two children.

Prosecutors argue that she was a resident in Spain and so was required to tax all her worldwide revenues there, no matter where they were earned.

Instead, they say, she diverted money to “companies domiciled in countries with low taxation and high opacity”.

The 46-year-old, who has sold millions of records worldwide, is accused of failing to pay €5.4 million in income tax, and is calculated to owe €6 million after taking into account accrued interest but also voluntary payments.

She is also accused of defrauding the state of €773,600 in wealth tax, resulting in a debt of €625,190.

Shakira's legal team said she had not received any notification of the new case in Miami, where she is now based.

“Shakira’s legal team is focused on preparing for the trial for the 2012-14 fiscal years, which will begin on Nov 20,” it said in an e-mailed statement.

The singer turned down a deal with prosecutors in the 2012-14 case, saying she was confident that she had behaved correctly and transparently from the beginning. REUTERS