Shakira could face up to eight years in prison following a judge ordering a trial for her alleged crimes.
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Now, Shakira is a pop icon…
Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has been labeled the “Queen of Latin Music.”
The singer started out in the music industry at a young age…
Recording her debut with Sony Music Colombia aged just thirteen years old.
After rising to fame in the late nineties, Shakira branched out into the English language market…
Her 2001 album Laundry Service was an instant hit, selling a whopping 13 million copies worldwide.
She went on to gain international success.
And has since sold over eighty million records, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
And the awards list is endless…
She has received three Grammy Awards, twelve Latin Grammy Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, thirty-nine Billboard Latin Music Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
But recently Shakira has faced some pretty damaging accusations.
That she’s been involved in tax fraud…
And Spanish prosecutors want Shakira to face more than eight years in prison for it.
Prosecutors said that if a jury convicts the singer for bilking the government out of $15 million in taxes, they’ll ask the judge to be tough on her.
Shakira is being prosecuted for the tax fraud allegations.
She’s being accused of paying too little in taxes between 2012 and 2014 during which time she spent more than half the year in Spain.
A rep for Shakira explained:
“Shakira has always cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer, and faithfully following the counsel of PriceWaterhouse Coopers, a prestigious and globally recognized tax firm.”
They added:
“Unfortunately, the Spanish Tax Office, which loses one out of every two lawsuits with its taxpayers, continues to violate her rights and pursue yet another baseless case. Shakira is confident that her innocence will be proven by the end of the judicial process.”
While Shakira and her team demand her innocence, the authorities are out for blood.
Not only do they want Shakira to do prison time, they also want Shakira to pay $15 million in unpaid taxes and another $24 million in fines.
Fans were shocked by the news, with many taking to social media to share their thoughts on the situation…
“That’s messed up!” one Facebook user wrote.
While a Twitter user joked: “They should question her hips, as they know the info is legit.”
A third quipped: “The authorities ordered a trial after not being impressed with Shakira’s response of ‘whenever, wherever’ when asked when she was planning on paying what was due.”
And now, the courts have decided that Shakira will stand trial for the alleged tax evasion.
People who spend more than 183 days in pain are classed as a citizen for tax purposes, and Tax inspectors did a deep dive into Shakira’s living arrangements in the years she allegedly dodged tax.
According to their calculations, Shakira spent 242 days in Spain in 2012, 212 days in 2013, and 243 days in 2014.
What do you think?