Shakira charged with 6.7m euro tax fraud

Shakira has been charged with tax evasion for the second time in Spain after she was accused of defrauding the state of 6.7m euros (about £5.8m).

The Colombian pop star, famous for hits including Whenever, Wherever and Hips Don’t Lie, allegedly failed to pay the tax on her 2018 income, according to Spanish prosecutors.

She is already facing trial in Barcelona in November, in a case in which she denies failing to pay 14.5m euros (about £12.5m) in tax for the period 2012-14 – for which she could be jailed for up to eight years.

In the new case, it is alleged Shakira failed to declare profits of $12.5m (£10.2m) from an advance payment for her El Dorado World Tour, among others. At that time, she was in a relationship with football star Gerard Pique and living in Barcelona with their two children.

Prosecutors say the star used an offshore company based in a tax haven.

According to their statement, the 46-year-old singer was notified of the new charges in Miami, where she now lives. However, the star’s legal team said on Tuesday that she had not received any notification of the new case, the Reuters news agency reported.

Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, lived with Pique in Barcelona until last year, when they ended their 11-year relationship.

Earlier this month, she was nominated for seven awards at this year’s Latin Grammys.

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Sky News has contacted representatives for Shakira for comment.

Previously, a spokesperson for the star said she had “always acted in concordance with the law and on the advice of her financial advisers”.

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