Shakira could get eight years jail time if found guilty of tax evasion

completemusicupdate.com:

Prosecutors in Spain are pushing for an eight year prison sentence if Shakira is found guilty of tax evasion. Or so it was reported last week as it was confirmed that the musician has refused to settle with the Spanish authorities, meaning her tax dispute will now head to trial.The dispute relates to a disagreement over where Shakira was primarily based between 2012 and 2014.

The Colombian pop star, who is married to Barcelona football player Gerard Piqué, became a full resident, and therefore tax payer, of Spain in 2015.However, Spanish authorities believe that she was also a resident of the country between 2012 and 2014 – despite actually registering her residence in the Bahamas – and therefore should have been paying tax on her worldwide earnings in the country during this time too.Anyone who spends more than six months of a year in Spain is considered liable for tax in the country.

It is argued that Shakira spent most of her time in Spain during the years in question, only travelling abroad for brief periods.Shakira’s legal reps have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing ever since she was first charged in 2018, insisting that the singer’s finances have been managed entirely legally and properly.Confirming last week that the musician had declined to negotiate an out of court settlement, a spokesperson said that she “trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law”.A date for the trial is yet to be set..