Shakira agreed to receive a three-year suspended sentence and pay 7.3 million euros ($ 7.98 million ) in fines as part of the agreement, which was made public at the beginning of what would have been his trial.
Shakira denied the accusations, claiming that she had only permanently relocated to Spain in 2015, but the prosecution had accused the superstar of defrauding the Spanish state of 14.5 million euros ($ 15.7 million ) in income earned between 2012 and 2014.
As she entered and exited the Barcelona courthouse, the singer, who was sporting a pink suit and sunglasses, said she had agreed to settle for the benefit of her two sons, Milan and Sasha.
In a statement released by her attorneys, she stated that she needed to “move past the stress and emotional strain of the past few years and focus on the things I love—my children, my future opportunities, including my upcoming world tour and my new album.”
I have the utmost respect for those who have persevered in the face of these injustices, but for me, winning today means regaining my time, my career, and my children.
The case focused on how much time the singer, whose hit singles” Whenever, Wherever” and” Waka Waka” from the 2010 World Cup, spent in Spain between 2012 and 2014.
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, also known as the Queen of Latin Pop, allegedly spent more than half of that time in Spain and ought to have paid taxes there, according to Spanish authorities.
They claim she left Bermuda for Spain after her relationship with GerardPique, a former star player for FC Barcelona, was made public in 2011. However, she continued to hold official tax residency there until 2015.
” Nomadic life”
According to Shakira’s attorneys, she lived a “nomadic life” up until 2014, made the majority of her money from international tours, and relocated permanently to Barcelona just before her second son was born in January 2015.
After a ten-year relationship, the diva announced her breakup with Pique in June 2022, putting an end to one of the most well-known celebrity couples in the world. With their two sons Milan and Sasha, she relocated to Miami in April.
The court was expected to hear from nearly 120 witnesses during her trial, which was set to begin on December 14.
In order to support their accusations, Spanish prosecutors interrogated her neighbors, followed her social media accounts, checked her hairdresser’s payments, and even visited the health clinic she frequented while pregnant.
There have previously been concerns about Shakira’s finances.
The” Pandora Papers,” which revealed the wealth and tax avoidance strategies of the world’s wealthy, in her case relating to residence in the Bahamas, named the Latina superstar in one of largest financial document leaks ever in October 2021.
Grammy winner from Latinos
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two football stars, have been penalized by Spain in recent years for failing to pay their taxes on time.
Both players received prison sentences that were waived for first-time offenders after being found guilty of evasion.
Pique, Shakira’s ex-partner, was ordered to pay the tax office 2.1 million euros after being found guilty of tax fraud in 2016.
At the Latin Grammy Awards on Thursday in Seville, southern Spain, the singer won three prizes, including best pop song for her collaboration with DJ Bizarrap on “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol.1″ and song of the year. 53.”
The song refers to being left with a “debt to the tax office” and swipes at her ex-partner Pique. On Spotify and YouTube, it has been played nearly 1.5 billion times.