Pop star Shakira will face a second tax probe in Spain
Pop star Shakira is facing more trouble from Spain's tax office after a court near Barcelona said on Thursday that it had agreed to open an investigation into a second case of alleged tax fraud by the Colombian singer.
Shakira is already set to face trial at a date to be determined for allegedly failing to pay €14.5 million ($23.8 million) in taxes on income earned between 2012 and 2014. The entertainer has denied any wrongdoing.
Now, a Spanish judge has agreed with state prosecutors to probe two possible cases of tax fraud by Shakira from 2018. The court said it had no information on how much money was in question.
READ MORE: Ariana Grande deletes wedding photos after divorce news
Shakira is facing more trouble from Spain's tax office after a court near Barcelona said on Thursday that it had agreed to open an investigation into a second case of alleged tax fraud. Jacopo M. Raule/Getty Images for Fendi
Both cases are being handled by a court in the town of Esplugues de Llobregat, near Barcelona.
The first case that is set to go to trial hinges on where Shakira lived during 2012-14. Prosecutors in Barcelona have alleged the Grammy winner spent more than half of that period in Spain and should have paid taxes in the country, even though her official residence was in the Bahamas.
READ MORE: Stars have mini reunion while joining SAG-AFTRA picket line
Shakira's public relations firm, Llorente y Cuenca, said in a statement in Spanish that the artist had "always acted in concordance with the law and on the advice of her financial advisers."
The firm said that Shakira, who now lives in Miami, has yet to receive notification of the second probe.
Shakira has been linked to Spain since she started dating the now-retired soccer player, ex Gerard Pique. Instagram
"(Shakira) is now focused on her artistic career in Miami and is calm and confident that she will receive a favorable resolution of her fiscal issues," the firm said.
Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has been linked to Spain since she started dating the now-retired soccer player Gerard Pique.
The couple, who have two children, lived together in Barcelona until last year, when they ended their 11-year relationship.
Spain has cracked down on soccer stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo over the past decade for not paying their full due in taxes.
They were found guilty of evasion but both avoided prison time thanks to a provision that allows a judge to waive sentences under two years in length for first-time offenders.
They were found guilty of evasion but both avoided prison time thanks to a provision that allows a judge to waive sentences under two years in length for first-time offenders. Greg Allen/Invision/AP
Most viewed in Celebrity
Sharon Osbourne asks court to remove executor of late husband Ozzy’s $187 million fortune
Ally Langdon breaks down as she opens up about death of best friend Gavin Larkin
Country music star admits she was drunk during a concert she should have cancelled
Dolly Parton’s sister shares heartbreaking new detail about the singer’s secret cancer battle