Shakira Ordered To Stand Trial In $13.9 Million Tax Evasion Case, Facing Prison Time After Refusing Deal
Shakira will be heading to court after refusing a deal in her tax evasion case. On Tuesday, the judge ordered the Colombian singer to stand trial after Spanish prosecutors accused her of failing to pay the government 14.5 million euros ($13.9 million) in taxes from 2012 to 2014, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Shakira faces a possible 8-year prison sentence if she's found guilty.
The Hips Don't Lie singer's day in court will take place in the town of Esplugues de Llobregat near Barcelona, where she will face six counts of tax fraud. The date for the trial has not been set.
This comes just days after Shakira spoke out about the situation in an interview, calling the accusations against her "false."
"I've paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit. So as of today, I owe zero to them," Shakira told Elle magazine, dropping the bombshell that she worked with "one of the four biggest tax specialist firms in the world, PricewaterhouseCoopers, so I was confident that I was doing things correctly and transparently from day one."
She continued to label the allegations a "salacious press campaign," saying, "I'm confident that I have enough proof to support my case and that justice will prevail in my favor."
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- Shakira REJECTS Deal, Headed To Trial In $15 Million Tax Scandal On Heels Of Breakup
Shakira's case hinges on where she lived between 2012 and 2014, with prosecutors arguing she spent more than half her time in Spain and she should have paid taxes.
During those dates, Shakira's official residence was in the Bahamas.
The Whenever, Whenever singer was linked to Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué at the time. The couple ended their 11-year relationship this summer.
Shakira and Gerard share two children together — sons Milan, 9, and Sasha, 7.
She's not just facing a battle over her taxes. Shakira's also gearing up for a custody fight with Gerard over their kids, and it's already gotten ugly. The songbird wants her ex to give her back her Grammy awards, claiming she's scared he could use the trophies as leverage in their case.
Despite Gerard already moving on with a much-younger girlfriend, Shakira said she has "faith that we will figure out what is best for their future, their own dreams in life, and what is a fair solution for everyone involved."
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