The Spanish Attorney General’s Office accuses Shakira of fraud of more than $6 million in 2018

(CNN in Spanish) — Despite leaving the country a few months ago, Colombian artist Shakira still suffers from a series of problems that keep her tied to Spain. In this case, court cases for allegedly defrauding the treasury in previous years.

The singer was summoned to stand in the dock before the Barcelona Regional Court in November this year on charges of alleged tax evasion worth US$16.2 million, which would have occurred in the fiscal years 2012, 2013 and 2014.

These are facts that the artist defends her innocence. He claims he has “always acted in accordance with the law and under the advice of the best tax experts,” his legal team recently told CNN.

But another investigation is being added to this case regarding the commission of two crimes of tax fraud in 2018, as reported to the Supreme Court of Justice of Catalonia last July.

Although the scope of this second investigation was not known as of Tuesday, CNN was able to access the text of the complaint filed by the Barcelona District Attorney’s Office in which Shakira is accused of defrauding the Spanish treasury of another US$6.4 million. Of this amount, US$5.61 million (€5.3 million) corresponds to the amount he has not paid in personal income tax (IRPF) and US$819,000 (€773,000) to income from activity undertaken.

By residing in Spain, the Public Prosecutor’s Office understands that the artist had to pay taxes on all her global income regardless of where it was produced and regardless of where the payer resides. However, he denounces that the singer did not do so and omitted to declare income, deducting income to a corporate structure with a presence in “low-tax and high-opacity countries”, as well as deducting expenses that were not appropriate.

Her legal team, after being consulted by CNN, said that “no notification has been received in Miami, the singer’s official home state, regarding the complaint related to fiscal year 2018,” and that her lawyers are focusing “on preparing for trial.” The fiscal years 2012 and 2014, which begin on November 20.

Crimes committed against the public treasury that prompt a complaint to the Public Prosecution Office for the fiscal year 2018, listed in Articles 305 and 305 bis of the Penal Code, are punishable in Spain by imprisonment for a period of between two and six years and a double fine. to six times the fraudster’s fee.