Shakira goes to court amidst Spanish tax fraud charges

Columbian singer Shakira will argue against her tax fraud charges in court, as she insists she was on tour for and not a resident in Spain from 2011 when the alleged fraud occurred. 

Shakira (Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll), 46, has compiled a series of pictures with her creative team, documenting her tour and claiming that she was only in Spain 60 of the necessary 183 days to determine tax residency.

The singer has revealed the images with which she will make her defence in Hello! and although the prosecutors’ claims she was a Spanish resident in 2011 are yet to be determined, she may stand further accusations of fraud by the Barcelona Prosecutor’s Office amounting to €15 million between 2012 and 2014.

Shakira will submit 31 hand-picked photos as evidence in the trial and assert that whilst in a relationship with Gerard Piqué at the time, they had not settled in Barcelona and she had only spent time there around her tour dates.

The 2011, alleged fraud is thought to be as much as €27 million in avoided taxes, but Shakira’s defence will also argue that tour expenditure had not been taken into account.

If the National Court can prove through an administrative process that the singer from Barranquilla, Colombia was guilty of offences in 2011, then they will investigate 2012 to 2014 in a similar manner but in a criminal process.

They will request a fine of €23.8 million as well as impose a prison sentence of more than eight years should she be found guilty. The trial continues.