Did she evade taxes in the millions? Shakira denies that. In a trial, the superstar could even face imprisonment.
The Colombian singer Shakira (45) has failed with an application against a criminal tax lawsuit. A court in Barcelona had rejected the complaint she had lodged, the Supreme Court of Catalonia announced on Thursday.
Shakira wanted to overturn a judge’s decision last July to open a criminal trial. The judiciary accuses her of tax evasion in the millions in the years 2012 to 2014. Shakira, who became famous with hits like “Waka Waka” and “Hips don’t lie”, could even face imprisonment if convicted. It was not initially known when the trial against the superstar could begin.
The core question is where she was liable for tax in the three years. The judiciary says in Spain because she stayed there for more than half a year in each of the three years. The singer denies this, insisting she was a resident of the Bahamas over the years. She only repeatedly visited her partner, football star Gerard Piqué from FC Barcelona, with whom she has two children. Only from 2015 did she live permanently in Barcelona. In addition, she has since paid all taxes.
