Mary Pintea – News Editor
mvp5879@psu.edu

Photo Credit: Daniel Cole/AP

Colombian recording artist Shakira is set to stand trial in Spanish court following allegations of
tax fraud.
A Barcelona court has ordered that the music star must appear in court for six alleged tax crimes,
totaling €14.5m, an estimated $14m. If found guilty, Shakira will face up to eight years in jail in
addition to a €23.8m fine.
The singer has denied all wrongdoing, stating that she has proof to support her case. Shakira
rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors in lieu of a trial. Her legal team said they will execute
a fair trial by “presenting [the] arguments at the appropriate time.”
The main legality in question is Shakira’s questionable residency status, with prosecutors
claiming that she lived in Spain but was listing her official residence elsewhere. Spanish law
deems residents of more than six months as taxpayers; consequently, Shakira should have paid
taxes. The singer states that her residency at the time was elsewhere, splitting time between
locations.
In July, prosecutors presented a document that claimed she bought a home in Barcelona with her
former partner, Gerard Piqué, in 2012. Piqué was fined €2.1m by the Spanish government for
evading tax payments between 2008 and 2010. This past June, Shakira and Piqué announced
their split after 11 years. The couple shares two sons, ages seven and nine.
In her defense, Shakira’s lawyers stated that most of her income was generated from
international tours, as she spent long periods of time outside of Spain; therefore, she could not be
claimed as a Spanish citizen. It should be noted that the singer has repaid her tax debts, plus
interest.