Shakira’s lawyers blast Spanish prosecutors after the singer ‘learned of new tax fraud probe through the media’ – and say she ‘always acted in accordance with the law’

Shakira’s lawyers have slammed the Spanish prosecutor’s office after the star was informed “through the media” of a new tax fraud case against her, insisting that she has “always acted in accordance with the law”.

The 46-year-old singer faces an investigation into tax fraud in Spain, a court said today, with her legal team saying she has so far not received “formal notice” of the investigation into her 2018 tax affairs.

The ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ singer is already due to stand trial on separate charges by the end of the year, in another case involving more than 14.5 million euros (£12.5 million) in back taxes owed between 2012 and 2014.

If the new investigation is based on comparable earnings, she will face another potential multi-million pound tax case.

In the 2012-2014 case, the prosecution is seeking a prison sentence of up to eight years for the Colombian star, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak.

Shakira, who has been romantically linked to F1 driver Lewis Hamilton in recent weeks, has denied any allegations and insisted she would fight the allegations against her in court rather than seek a last-minute deal with Spanish prosecutors.

There has been no official comment yet from the mother-of-two, who was recently photographed watching Carlos Alcaraz play in the Wimbledon semi-final.

The new investigation will be conducted by a judge in a court in Esplugues de Llobregat, the same one who launched the earlier investigation that resulted in the artist being ordered to stand trial.

Shakira’s legal advisers said in a statement this afternoon, “Shakira has not received formal notice of the plaintiff’s complaint which, according to the media, has been filed for fiscal year 2018.

“Again, as has been the case in recent years, it is through the media that the singer found out about this lawsuit being filed, which is testament to the public and reputational pressure she is subjected to.

The singer’s legal team will not comment until the report reaches them through the official and legally established channels.

As is well known and as the Spanish Treasury has been officially notified, Shakira now resides in Miami, so she must be personally notified at her new address, in strict accordance with the provisions of the law.

“As she has confirmed on several occasions, Shakira maintains that she has always acted in accordance with the law and on the advice of top tax experts.

“She is now focusing on her life as an artist in Miami and is confident that her tax issues will be resolved.”

Officials today confirmed reports of the new probe, which will once again put Shakira in the spotlight.

A spokesman for the Supreme Court of Catalonia said: “Court of Instruction Number 2 in Esplugues de Llobregat has opened proceedings following a complaint filed by prosecutors against the singer Shakira for two suspected tax offenses related to income tax and wealth tax for the Spanish tax year 2018.”

There has been no official comment yet from the mother-of-two, who was recently photographed watching Carlos Alcaraz play in the Wimbledon semi-final.

The prosecutor did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new case.

Before leaving Barcelona for Miami in early April, Shakira launched a vehement attack on Spain’s tax authorities after it was announced she would face trial for alleged crimes committed between 2012 and 2014.

She claimed she was being prosecuted and accused Spain’s finance ministry of using “unacceptable methods to damage her reputation and force her to reach a settlement agreement.”

She insisted she had no intention of making any last-minute plea deals and would appear in court.

A spokesman for the artist also clarified that she felt the country’s tax authorities accused her of lying about living outside Spain “without evidence” during the years she had been accused of tax fraud.

Shakira, formerly tax resident of the Bahamas, did not register as a full-time tax resident in Spain until 2015, despite having begun dating her ex Gerard Pique five years earlier

Formerly a tax resident of the Bahamas, Shakira did not register as a full-time tax resident in Spain until 2015, despite having begun dating her ex Gerard Pique five years earlier.

People who spend more than 183 days in Spain in any given calendar year are considered Spanish residents for tax purposes.

Spanish tax inspectors reportedly spent more than a year checking on Shakira, even visiting her favorite hairdressers in Barcelona and checking her social media to try and show that she spent most of the three years in dispute in Spain.

They concluded that she had spent 242 days in Spain in 2012, 212 days in 2013 and 243 days in the country in 2014 before indicting her on six counts of tax fraud over those three years.

A statement released by Shakira’s Barcelona-based publicist LLYC last November and authorized by Shakira said: ‘Shakira is a taxpayer who has always demonstrated impeccable tax conduct and has never had tax problems in any other jurisdiction.

‘The singer called on top advisers such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers. She has never exceeded the 183 days of presence in Spain required to be a tax resident.

“Without solid evidence to support the charges against her, she has been vehemently prosecuted in the criminal and media sphere, using unacceptable methods to damage her reputation and force her to reach a plea agreement.”

November 20 is scheduled as the start of Shakira’s tax trial, which will take place in 12 sessions.

The last day of the public hearing would be December 14, as some days the court will not sit.

Wealth tax in Spain is an annual tax payable on the total net worth of your assets as of December 31. Spanish taxpayers pay taxes on their worldwide assets.