Shakira’s Response To Her Spanish Tax Fraud Allegations Is Direct As Hell

Shakira has something to say about her finances. The pop star is awaiting trial for alleged tax fraud in Spain. According to NPR, she currently could face up to an eight-year sentence and 24 million euros ($24 million) in fines if convicted.

In December 2018, Spanish prosecutors filed the tax evasion charges, accusing her of failing to pay 14.5 million euros ($15 million) in taxes between 2012 to 2014. A judge reportedly dismissed the star’s request for an appeal in May of 2022. NPR reported in July that Shakira rejected a prosecutorial settlement deal and opted instead to go to trial. A trial date has not been set.

Shakira opened up about the trial and allegations in a Sept. 21 Elle cover story. Most notably, in the interview, Shakira denied the allegations, calling them “false.” She also said she doesn’t currently owe the Spanish government any funds.

“I’ve paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit. So as of today, I owe zero to them,” she told Elle.

The issue at hand is whether or not Shakira primarily lived in Spain between 2012 to 2014. Gerard Piqué, Shakira’s former partner and father to her two sons, is a professional footballer in Spain.

According to People, Spanish residency law states spending 183 days in Spain is the threshold in which one is considered a legal a resident of the country. This means they are then liable to pay taxes on internationally acquired income. However, the individual in question would only be accountable for income earned within the country if they spent less than 183 days in Spain.

Shakira told Elle that she spent less than 183 days in Spain during the period in question. “First of all, I didn’t spend 183 days per year at that time at all. I was busy fulfilling my professional commitments around the world,” she said.

The former Voice coach, who labeled the accusations as “fictional claims,” told Elle that the allegations by the Spanish government have acted as a smear campaign against her. “Even without evidence to support these fictional claims, as they usually do, they’ve resorted to a salacious press campaign to try to sway people, and apply pressure in the media along with the threat of reputational damage in order to coerce settlement agreements,” Shakira said.

She further alleged that Spain has tried to publicly defame celebrities and everyday citizens with tax fraud allegations, including footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2019, Ronaldo pled guilty to tax fraud in Spain.

“I’m confident that I have enough proof to support my case and that justice will prevail in my favor,” Shakira said.

Before moving on to other topics, Elle writer Lulu Garcia-Navarro noted Shakira appeared determined to have her day in court. The pop star agreed.

“Yeah, exactly. That’s exactly what it is. It’s a matter of principle,” she said.