Shakira Is Facing Another Tax Fraud Investigation in Spain
Shakira is facing another legal battle.
Already set to face trial by the Spanish government for alleged tax fraud between 2012 and 2014 totaling 14.5 million euros, the pop star is now facing another investigation of two possible instances of tax fraud from 2018, per the Associated Press.
Regarding this new investigation, a source with knowledge of the situation told E! News that "Shakira defends having always acted in accordance with the law and under the advice of the best tax experts."
The insider added that the Colombian singer "is now focused on her life as an artist in Miami and is confident that there will be a favorable resolution of her tax issues."
Although no additional details regarding this new investigation have been released, the "Hips Don't Lie" singer's trial date has yet to be set for her original tax fraud charges, according to the AP. This case hinges on where she spent the majority of her time—Spain, where she was living with her now ex Gerard Piqué, or in her residence in the Bahamas.
E! News has reached out to Shakira's rep regarding the new case but has not received a comment.
Regarding the original case against her, Shakira has maintained her innocence, explaining why she's chosen to fight the charges rather than settle.
"Because I have to fight for what I believe; because these are false accusations," the 46-year-old told Elle in October. "First of all, I didn't spend 183 days per year [in Spain] at that time at all. I was busy fulfilling my professional commitments around the world. Second, I've paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit. So as of today, I owe zero to them."
She also clarified that she has always acted on the advice of tax professionals, accusing Spain of utilizing the media against her.
"I was advised by one of the four biggest tax specialist firms in the world," Shakira added. "So I was confident that I was doing things correctly and transparently from day one. However, even without evidence to support these fictional claims, as they usually do, they've resorted to a salacious press campaign to try to sway people and apply pressure in the media along with the threat of reputational damage in order to coerce settlement agreements."
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