According to Reuters, internationally renowned pop diva Shakira is reportedly facing an eight-year prison sentence from Spanish authorities in Madrid. The news source added that the legal documents displayed on Friday, July 29, called for a fine of more than 23 million euros ($ 23.5 million or £19 million) as well as a possible prison sentence.
The Barcelona court should penalise the Colombian singer-songwriter and maybe sentence him to prison, as requested by the prosecutors. Six counts of alleged tax payment fraud between 2012 and 2014 are brought against the 45-year-old musician.
The Colombian artist reportedly turned down an out-of-court settlement with a potential plea bargain, though. This indicates that the Grammy-winning singer’s lawsuit alleging tax evasion will move forward to trial. A trial date will soon be established by the Spanish court, at which the singer and her attorney will argue their cases against those of the prosecution.
Shakira
Shakira’s spokesperson responds to tax-fraud allegations
Shakira’s agents highlighted her diligence as “a taxpayer and an individual” in a recent media statement, adding that she has always followed the guidelines of “globally acknowledged tax firm” PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). The statement went on to discuss the tax fraud claim:
The singer, formerly known as Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, is charged with tax fraud involving roughly 14.5 million euros and is said to have been a tax resident of Spain since 2012.
Netizens react to Shakira’s tax-fraud allegations
As was to be predicted, a huge amount of social media users have responded to these accusations. If the pop star is detained, some have even joked that they will break into the Spanish prison and release her. The claims have also given rise to jokes and parodies about the artist in videos. The majority of this material joked about how she would use her dancing abilities to get out of jail.
Shakira’s tax-fraud allegations explained:
The 45-year-old Spaniard, who was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, was a registered taxpayer in the Bahamas before becoming one in Spain as of roughly 2015. The Hips Don’t Lie singer, according to Spanish officials, was required to pay taxes even before that.
To be more specific, Spanish taxpayers are required to pay taxes on all of their worldwide income. In accordance with the legislation, any official visitor who stays in Spain for more than 183 days a year must pay taxes to the Spanish government.
According to claims made by the Spanish government, Shakira stayed there for 697 days between 2012 and 2014. According to a breakdown of the claims, the singer was charged with staying in the nation for 242 days in 2012, 212 days in 2013, and 243 days in 2014. The Colombian national was only a registered taxpayer in the Bahamas at the time.
Some people find the timeframe of her reportedly lengthy stays in Spain plausible because the “Queen of Latin Music” had been dating Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué since the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011. This year, the pair split up early. During this time, the pop star purchased a mansion in Barcelona, where she, Pique, and their kids supposedly made their home.
The singer has refuted all of the accusations made against her, and her attorneys have reiterated that she has complied with tax laws. She did, however, repay the Spanish government the roughly $15 million that she owed them. The Colombian celebrity also forked up roughly £3 million (or $3.65 million) in interest.
The post What happened to Shakira? Internet responds with hilarious escape jail memes as singer faces 8-year prison sentence in tax fraud case appeared first on theancestory.com.
