Spanish Court Dismisses Shakira Appeal In Tax Fraud Case

etcanada.com:

A court in Spain on Thursday dismissed Colombian singer Shakira’s appeal in a tax fraud case, paving the way for a trial after a judge previously concluded there was enough evidence to suggest the pop star may have avoided her fiscal obligations to the state.

The case first made headlines in December 2018 after Spanish prosecutors charged the singer with failing to pay 14.5 million euros ($15.5 million) in taxes on income earned between 2012 and 2014.

Shakira, 45, denied any wrongdoing when she testified in June 2019. READ MORE: Shakira Blows Away The TikTok Challenge On ‘The Tonight Show’ At the heart of the legal wrangling is the question of the singer’s residence: Prosecutors allege she lived mostly in Spain despite having an official residence in the Bahamas.

In its decision issued Thursday, the Spanish court said the evidence suggests Shakira was “a habitual resident in Spain,” adding that documentation failed to substantiate her residence for tax purposes in another country.