The Colombian superstar shrugged off the presence of dozens of journalists, photographers, and television cameras by entering through the garage at the courthouse in Esplugues de Llobregat. She was questioned on suspicion of tax fraud over her alleged failure to pay over 14.5 million euros ($14.31 million) in back taxes owed between 2012 and 2014.
A Spanish court said on Thursday it had started a new investigation against singer Shakira linked to alleged income and wealth tax fraud in 2018. The court in the northeastern town of Esplugues de Llobregat, near Barcelona, did not provide further details in its statement. The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer, 46, is expected to stand trial towards the end of this year in another case relating to over 14.5 million euros ($14.31 billion) in back taxes owed between 2012 and 2014 after rejecting a deal to avoid a trial.
Prosecutors accuse her of not paying taxes on income generated in Spain, where she has lived for over a decade, and failing to report assets. They also claim she hid income from other countries by registering her personal services company as based in Switzerland, where the law allows individuals to set up such companies with no local business registration requirements.
In a statement, her public relations firm, LLYC, denied the accusations. According to Forbes magazine, Shakira is the world’s highest-paid female music artist, with earnings of about $42 million in 2018. The singer, who has a cult following in Latin America, is an established worldwide touring act.
Shakira started recording music at Sony Music in 1990, and her debut album, Magia, was released the following year. It included a mix of rock-pop ballads and disco uptempo songs with electronic accompaniment. The record was not a major commercial success, but its singles, such as the Latin pop hit “She Wolf,” earned her significant exposure.
After her debut, Shakira continued to work on her musical development. She experimented with a more Alanis Morissette-oriented persona, and her second album, Pies Descalzos, included songs with heavy influences from other countries. It was a hit in Europe and the United States, where it reached number three on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart.
The following year, she took part in Chile’s Vina del Mar International Song Festival, where she sang the song “Eres.” She was a top-10 finalist and gained recognition outside of Latin America.
Shakira’s crossover success led to her signing a recording contract with Live Nation, which gave her touring and other rights in addition to a three-album deal. In 2007, she recorded a duet with American R&B singer Beyonce on the song “Sing” and jumped 91 positions to number three in April 2007 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with her own single, the infectious “Hips Don’t Lie.” It was followed by a greatest-hits compilation album in Spanish, Grandes Exitos. She later served as a coach on two seasons of the U.S. singing competition show The Voice.
