BARCELONA, SPAIN – Pop sensation Shakira is encountering further legal troubles with Spain’s tax office as a court near Barcelona announced on Thursday that it will open an investigation into a second case of alleged tax fraud by the Colombian singer.
Shakira is already scheduled to stand trial for allegedly failing to pay 14.5 million euros ($13.9 million) in taxes on income earned between 2012 and 2014. The entertainer has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in relation to this case.
Now, a Spanish judge, in agreement with state prosecutors, has initiated a probe into two potential instances of tax fraud involving Shakira from the year 2018. The court has not yet released specific details about the amount of money under question in these new allegations.
Both tax cases are being handled by a court in the town of Esplugues de Llobregat, near Barcelona.
The first case, set for trial, centers around the question of Shakira’s residence during the years 2012 to 2014. Prosecutors in Barcelona have claimed that the Grammy winner spent more than half of that period in Spain and should have paid taxes in the country, despite her official residence being registered in the Bahamas.
Shakira’s association with Spain stems from her relationship with retired soccer player Gerard Pique. The couple, who has two children together, lived in Barcelona until last year when they ended their 11-year relationship.
In recent years, Spain has been increasingly vigilant in pursuing tax evasion cases involving prominent figures, including soccer stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Both players were found guilty of tax evasion but avoided prison time due to a provision that allows judges to waive sentences under two years for first-time offenders.