Spanish court shelves Shakira tax fraud investigation

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - A court in Barcelona said Thursday it will shelve a tax fraud case against Shakira.

It was the second investigation surrounding the Colombian singer and tax evasion in Spain.

Prosecutors alleged that Shakira used an international network of corporations to avoid paying €6.6 million ($6.5 million) in Spanish taxes in 2018.

But the judge decided to drop the case after prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges.

While the judge said there appeared to be “irregularities” with Shakira’s taxes that year, there was no indication that the pop star had intentionally tried to hide information or documents from authorities to evade taxes.

In relation to her 2018 taxes, Shakira has paid Spanish authorities €6.6 million.

Last November, she also settled the first case, pleading guilty to €14.5 million in tax fraud.

As part of the deal, she swapped a three-year prison sentence for a €7.3 million fine.

In that case, which centered on tax payments between 2012 and 2014, prosecutors originally sought eight years in prison.

The singer still faces another case in Spain, related to her 2011 taxes. Her lawyers argue she was not a resident that year so should not be forced to pay taxes.

Speaking to Elle Magazine in 2022, she accused Spanish tax authorities of running "a salacious press campaign" against her and said they started "salivating" when they saw she was dating a Spanish citizen because they wanted her money.

Shakira was formerly dating Barcelona football player Gerard Pique, who has also been charged with evading millions in taxes.

The couple has two children together but publicly broke up last year.

After the split, Shakira moved from Barcelona to Miami, where she currently resides.