Jorge Hinojosa
SHAKIRA has lost her appeal to dismiss charges that she defrauded Spain’s tax office of €14 million and will face trial, a court has ruled.
The 45-year-old singer is alleged to have failed to pay taxes on income earned between 2012 and 2014 when the tax office claims she was living in Spain.
But the Colombian pop star’s legal team claim she only moved permanently to Spain in 2015 and has paid tax there ever since.
A court ruled in July 2021 that there was ‘sufficient evidence’ to send Shakira to stand trial but her legal team failed to have the decision overturned on appeal and instead it was ratified.
The prosecutor’s office could ask for a prison sentence as well as a substantial fine but no court date has yet been set.
Her legal team issued a statement on Thursday insisting that they would continue to prove her innocence.
“Shakira’s conduct on tax matters has always been impeccable in all the countries she had to pay taxes and she has trusted and followed faithfully the recommendations of the best specialists and advisers,” the statement said.
Shakira has been in a relationship with FC Barcelona player Gerard Pique since 2011 and the pair have two children.
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