Shakira was charged with tax evasion by authorities in Barcelona on Tuesday, September 26.
The singer, 46, has been accused of failing to pay €6.7 million ($7.1 million USD) to the Spanish government in 2018. Shakira allegedly used an offshore company located in a tax haven to avoid paying the hefty tax bill, NBC News reports.
The Colombian singer currently resides in Miami, and her legal team there told Reuters that they have yet to be informed of the new charges. However, the authorities stated that she was notified on Tuesday.
The case was opened in July but prosecutors did not make the news public until Tuesday. No trial date for the singer has been set.
Shakira is already due to be tried in Barcelona on November 20 for a separate tax evasion case in which she is accused of failing to pay €14.5 million ($15.4 million USD) in taxes. Prosecutors claim that because Shakira lived in Barcelona for the majority of the two-year time period between 2012 and 2014, she is obliged to pay taxes in Spain. However, Shakira claims that her official residency was in the Bahamas during that time.
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer has repeatedly denied allegations and has continued to maintain an optimistic attitude about the charges publicly. In a September 2023 interview with Elle, Shakira said, “I am confident that I have enough proof to support my case and that justice will prevail in my favor.”
In November 2022, Shakira claimed that she had been a victim of a calculated smear campaign, asserting that she was not a resident of Spain between 2012 and 2014. Spanish law requires people to pay taxes only if they spend 183 days or more there in one year, which Shakira maintained she did not. She also stated that she paid $10,141,075 in taxes to the U.S. government during those years.
It’s been a trying time for the singer. In June 2022, Shakira split from her boyfriend of 11 years, Gerard Piqué, who is the father of her two children, Milan, 10 and Sasha, 8. The very public breakup reportedly happened as a result of Piqué cheating on Shakira with 24-year-old Clara Chia Marti.
Earlier this month, multiple sources told Us Weekly that Shakira has bounced back from the tumultuous time. “It’s a new chapter,” one source revealed, adding, “she’s feeling better than ever.”
Shakira has since moved on with Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, and the pair are still going strong. “They’re growing closer every day,” the source exclusively told Us in a recent cover story, adding, “Her main priority is her kids and career. But she’s definitely optimistic about finding love again.”
A second insider told Us that Shakira has been maintaining a positive outlook about her tax evasion charges, stating that the singer “believes she’ll be vindicated.”
