Shakira poses in the press room at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept 12, 2023, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (PHOTO / AP)
MADRID - Prosecutors in Spain have filed a court complaint against Colombian pop star Shakira for the alleged tax fraud of more than 6.68 million euros ($7 million).
This is the second case of tax fraud against the singer, who faces trial on Nov 20 this year after being accused of avoiding payment of 14.5 million euros in taxes for the period between 2012 and 2014. Shakira denies the charges, but prosecutors have asked for her to be sentenced to eight years in prison if found guilty.
This time, the prosecutor alleged that in 2018, while a resident in Spain, Shakira "used a corporate framework, diverting income to companies domiciled in countries with low taxation and high opacity," to avoid paying tax on her income
This time, the prosecutor alleged that in 2018, while a resident in Spain, Shakira "used a corporate framework, diverting income to companies domiciled in countries with low taxation and high opacity," to avoid paying tax on her income.
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The shell companies Shakira allegedly used were based in Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Malta, the British Virgin Islands, Panama, the Bahamas, the United States and Liechtenstein. The prosecutor said that these so-called companies "lacked material and personal means to carry out any activity, and the expenses they generated were purely administrative, related to the conduct and management of the companies and entities themselves."
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The accusation said Shakira did this in order to avoid "paying what was due into the State Treasury," and she "consciously and voluntarily submitted false personal income tax declarations."
Colombian singer Shakira attends the inauguration of the Nuevo Bosque Pies Descalzos School, supported by her Pies Descalzos Foundation, in El Bosque neighbourhood in Barranquilla, Colombia, on Sept 16, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)
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The singer has reportedly been notified of the charges in Miami, the United States, where she is living.
