MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spanish prosecutors want Shakira jailed for 8 years for tax evasion

The singer has a fiscal residence in Luxembourg and claims to have her tax situation settled there, but Spanish prosecutors think otherwise

Colombian singer Shakira is facing an eight-year prison sentence for tax evasion in addition to a hefty fine after charges were filed against her in Spain.

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll has been accused of evading taxes amounting to € 14.5 million between 2012 and 2014. At that time she moved in with footballer Gerard Piqué. The pair has split and legal procedures in that regard are also underway.

In addition to her incarceration for eight years and two months, prosecutors have requested Shakira be fined in the amount of € 23.8 million for evading Spanish taxes on six occasions.

The Colombian singer is to be tried by the Audiencia of Barcelona after “rational indications of criminality” in her Wealth Tax and Personal Income Tax returns.

The Prosecution argues that Shakira resided permanently in Spain and must therefore pay taxes in that country, but used a corporate structure instead to hide her income and assets.

Shakira's legal team claims the musician has already paid € 17 million as requested by the Spanish authorities and insisted that “never before has there been such an unreasonable and fierce persecution by the tax authorities, nor with such an obvious use of media and reputational pressure as a collection mechanism.”

The singer has a fiscal residence in Luxembourg and claims to have her tax situation settled there, but Spanish prosecutors think otherwise.