Updated Feb. 28, 2018, 7:40 a.m. PT: According to Spanish newspapers, Shakira is working to settle her massive tax debt the Spanish government claims she owes after moving to Spain but keeping her residency listed in the Bahamas.
Shakira reportedly paid €20 million (around $25 million), which is only a small fraction of what the government says she owes. In short, it would cover her income taxes for 2011 alone, while the government claims she owes back taxes for the additional years of 2012, 2013 and 2014. To be off the hook, Shakira would have to prove to Spanish authorities that she spent fewer than 183 days in Spain in each of those years.
As such, it’s safe to say Shakira isn’t off that proverbial hook just yet, and making amends is going to be very costly if this latest news is any indication.
Original story, published Jan. 25, 2018: While Shakira’s hips don’t lie, her tax forms just might. The singer is under investigation by officials in Spain for suspected tax evasion. It’s not really the best way to start 2018 if you ask me.
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Spanish officials allege that for three years before officially changing her residence to Barcelona, Spain, Shakira was actually living there, but kept her residence listed as the Bahamas to avoid paying Spanish taxes. They’re investigating her for potentially owing income taxes to Spain for 2012, 2013 and 2014. Shakira officially changed her residence to Spain in 2015.
Prosecutor José Miguel Company told The Guardian that Spanish tax authorities referred the investigation to his office in December. He estimated that the prosecutor’s office will make a decision by mid-June. Anna Forastier, a spokesperson for auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers confirmed that Shakira had hired her company to help with the investigation, but declined to give any other details.
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This isn’t the first time Shakira has come under scrutiny for tax reasons. She was implicated in a prior investigation by The Guardian for listing her residence in the Bahamas while living in Barcelona, as well as putting her money into a Malta company called Tournesol Ltd. She’s the sole shareholder for Tournesol Ltd., which is valued at $4.27 million. Malta has been accused before of being a tax haven, according to The Guardian.
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Shakira’s lawyer told The Guardian that Tournesol Ltd. “fulfills all legal requirements. All of the corresponding information relative to this entity is public and transparent.” The attorney also addressed the accusations about Shakira’s residency, saying she has lived in many places “throughout her professional career and, in every case, has fully met the laws of all the jurisdictions where she has resided.”
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