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A “Voice” coach is facing a legal battle after rejecting a settlement offer in a tax fraud case. Read on to find out why Latina singing sensation Shakira is facing up to eight years in jail in Spain.
Shakira Rejected a Settlement Offer
According to Reuters, on Wednesday, July 27, Shakira rejected a settlement offer from the prosecutor in her tax fraud case, which means she may be headed for trial. The Colombian singer is accused of failing to pay $14.5 million euros in income tax between 2012 and 2014.
In a previous article about Shakira’s appeal being denied by the judge, Reuters reported that the prosecutors are saying she lived in Spain in those years and therefore owes the country income tax, while Shakira’s representatives say that she did not move to Spain until 2015 and has paid her taxes since then. She also said in the court documents obtained by Reuters that she initially paid $17.2 million euros in taxes and therefore her tax debt is paid in full.
“Shakira’s conduct on tax matters has always been impeccable in all the countries she had to pay taxes and she has trusted and followed faithfully the recommendations of the best specialists and advisers,” said the singer in a statement in May 2022.
The Spanish Prosecutor is Seeking 8 Years in Prison
Reuters later reported that the Spanish prosecutor in the case is seeking a sentence of eight years in prison and a fine of $23 million euros for the former “Voice” coach. The prosecutor maintains she bought a home in Barcelona in 2012 and began living there with her family — her then-partner Gerard Pique, from whom she is now separated, and their two sons, Milan, 9, and Sasha, 7, once they were born. Milan was actually born in Barcelona, Spain, in January 2013.
In a new statement issued after she rejected the settlement offer, the terms of which were not disclosed to the public, the singer said that she is “fully confident of her innocence” and considers this case to be a “total violation of her rights.”
“The singer is fully confident of her innocence and therefore does not accept a settlement,” the statement said.
A trial date has not yet been set.
The Grammy-winning singer was a coach on “The Voice” during seasons four and six. in season four, she finished tied for fourth place with team member Sasha Allen, and in season six, her final team member Kristen Merlin was also eliminated in the semifinals, finishing in fourth place.
In April 2022, she dropped a new song called “Te Felicito” with artist Rauw Alejandro; she celebrated that it hit 200 million streams on Spotify in a July, 27 2022 Instagram post.
And she is currently appearing as a creator and executive producing the new dancing competition “Dancing With Myself” on NBC.
“I’m excited to be a part of a dance competition that places such a high value on creative movement and how it translates into personal expression, not to mention how it contributes to a sense of community,” Shakira said in a statement when she was announced as a celebrity creator. “I’ve personally been blown away by some of the talent I’ve seen thanks to people having access to their own platforms through social media. Dance has been an incredibly potent force throughout my life, and I’m eager to show the world how transformative, empowering and fun it can be.”
“Dancing With Myself” wrapped its first season on July 19; it has not yet been renewed for a second season. “The Voice” returns in the fall of 2022 for its 22nd season on NBC.
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