36Accused of tax fraud, Shakira risked 8 years in prison and a fine of 23,8 million euros. This Monday, November 20, she managed to avoid a trial by pleading guilty and reaching an agreement with the Spanish justice system.
The trial was initially scheduled to last until December 14 with a total of nearly 120 witnesses. The prosecution accused the pop star of having subtracted 14,5 million euros from the Spanish tax authorities by failing to declare part of the income from her tours abroad between 2012 and 2014. According to the prosecution, she yet lived in Spain next to Gerard Piquet more than 183 days per year, a threshold established by Spanish law to consider someone a resident. She would have in fact maintained her tax residence in Bahamas Islands, considered a tax haven. As part of his agreement reached with justice, Shakira therefore receives a three-year suspended prison sentence, which will be commuted to a fine, and a financial sanction of an amount equivalent to “50%” of the fraud.
