Shakira Denied Appeal in Spanish Tax Fraud Case

A Spanish court has dismissed Shakira‘s appeal in an ongoing tax fraud case.

According to ABC News, the decision comes after a judge had previously concluded there was evidence that the 45-year-old performer may have avoided her financial obligations to the state.

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The case was first reported on in December 2018, when Spanish prosecutors charged Shakira with failure to pay 14.5 million euros ($15.5 million) in taxes on her 2012 to 2014 income. The singer denied any wrongdoing during her testimony in June 2019.

ABC News notes that the legal matter is largely a question of Shakira‘s primary residence, with prosecutors claiming she spent most of her time in Spain despite having an official residence in the Bahamas.

The Spanish court said in their decision, which was issued on Thursday (May 26), that there was evidence that Shakira was a habitual resident in Spain,” claiming that there was not enough documentation to substantiate her residence for tax purposes in another country.

This upholds a ruling from Spanish Judges Marco Juberías, who wrote in July that his three-year investigation found there was “sufficient evidence of criminality” for the case to go to trial.

Shakira‘s PR firm has said that she immediately paid the money she owed once she had been informed of the debt.

“Shakira’s conduct on tax matters has always been impeccable in all the countries where she has had to pay taxes, and she has trusted and faithfully followed the recommendations of the best specialists and expert advisors,” her reps said in a statement, adding that her legal team would continue to “defend her innocence.”

The performer is facing the possibility of a fine or even a prison sentence if she is found guilty. However, a judge can waive prison time for first-time offenders in the event they are sentenced to less than two years behind bars.

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