Shakira Reaches Deal in Spanish Tax Fraud Case

Shakira will be paying millions after reaching a plea agreement in a Spanish tax fraud case. The singer won’t be going to trial, where she faced the possibility of several years in prison.

According to the New York Times, the music icon pled guilty to six accounts of failing to pay taxes to the Spanish government. The sum of these taxes amounted to around $15.8 million. The Spanish government accused Shakira of not paying taxes for 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Although the singer claims the Bahamas as her residence, she spent an extended amount of time in the country during that period. So much so, that the government wanted her to pay up. According to the agreement, Shakira will receive a three-year suspended sentence, which means no jail time. Likewise, she’ll have to pay around $7.6 million.

The decision comes after several weeks of preparation for the trial, which would have featured more than 100 witnesses. If convicted, she faced up to eight years in prison. Instead, Shakira told NPR that she’s looking to move forward with her life now that she avoided a trial.

In a statement, she said, “I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight. I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love, my kids, and all the opportunities to come in my career.”

However, the singer hasn’t gone quietly into the night. In a separate statement to People, Shakira maintained her innocence. She ultimately decided to make the plea agreement to save her family any additional stress.

She told the outlet, “While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favor, I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight.”

However, she further condemned the Spanish government on the matter while also plugging her upcoming world tour and album. She said, “I admire tremendously those who have fought these injustices to the end, but for me, today, winning is getting my time back for my kids and my career.”

Photo by Juan Naharro Gimenez/Getty Images