Spain. Shakira sentenced for tax evasion. He must pay back millions of euros

The Barcelona prosecutor’s office maintains that In the years 2012-2014, the Colombian singer lived in Spain for more than half of the year. For 11 years she was the partner of FC Barcelona player Gerard Pique. According to Spanish law, if she lived in the country for more than half a year, she was obliged to pay taxes there, even though her official place of residence remained the Bahamas. Tax rates there are much lower than on the Iberian Peninsula.

Shakira’s defense argued that she did not spend more than 60 days a year in Europe during the period in question. She recalled that in 2011, the singer took part in a world tour, after which she went to the United States. There she was a member of the jury of the NBC music television program “The Voice”. The lawyers asserted that she established fiscal residency in Spain only in 2014, when her older child went to school. “I believe in my innocence,” she said.

This opinion was challenged by investigators who, after completing a three-year investigation into the allegations, assured that there was “sufficient evidence of a crime” for the case to go to court. Shakira was also mentioned in the leaks The “Paradise Papers”, which detailed tax avoidance by many famous people, including music stars such as Madonna and Bono of U2.

The trial, which starts on Monday, was expected to last several weeks. About a hundred witnesses were to testify there. Meanwhile the case was over after eight minutes. That was enough time for Shakira to tell the presiding judge that she accepted the agreement reached with the prosecutor’s office. She stated that she accepted six charges of failure to pay the Spanish government taxes in the amount of 14.5 million euros (approximately $15.8 million) between 2012 and 2014.

In addition to a three-year suspended sentence and a PLN 7 million fine, the singer will pay PLN 432,000. euro in exchange for the annulment of the judgment. The penalty imposed is much lower than the initial one. In July, prosecutors announced they would seek eight years and two months in prison and a fine of 24 million euros ($26 million).

In a statement, the multiple Grammy winner said she didn’t want to continue fighting because puts family, career and peace of mind first. – I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter, taking into account the well-being of my children, who do not want their mother to sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight, she said.

Shakira is not the only international star to face financial fraud allegations in Spain. Previously, two world-famous footballers had problems with tax evasion – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Video

“Honestly about money”: Notary, i.e. a first-contact lawyer
Polsat News