--- title: Shakira Reaches Deal to Avoid €14.5m Tax Fraud Trial description: Spanish prosecutors had wanted to jail her for eight years and fine the singer €23.8m if she was found guilty. canonical: https://time.com/6337537/shakira-deal-tax-fraud-case/ author: Armani Syed article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-11-20T11:40:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-24T16:42:56.167Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Shakira Reaches Deal to Avoid €14.5m Tax Fraud Trial og:description: Spanish prosecutors had wanted to jail her for eight years and fine the singer €23.8m if she was found guilty. og:url: https://time.com/6337537/shakira-deal-tax-fraud-case/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc570abc7953d3527/698a427c86f68e3f116f3009/GettyImages-1803688185.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Shakira's Trial In Barcelona For Alleged Tax Fraud og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Shakira Reaches Deal to Avoid €14.5m Tax Fraud Trial twitter:description: Spanish prosecutors had wanted to jail her for eight years and fine the singer €23.8m if she was found guilty. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc570abc7953d3527/698a427c86f68e3f116f3009/GettyImages-1803688185.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Shakira Reaches Deal to Avoid $16 Million Tax Fraud Trial. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account.  by [Armani Syed](https://time.com/author/armani-syed/)  ## Armani Syed Syed was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Nov 20, 2023 11:40 AM UTC  Singer Shakira with her lawyers, Pau Molins, Miriam Company, on her arrival at the Audiencia Nacional on the day her trial begins, on Nov. 20, 2023, in Barcelona, Spain. Singer Shakira with her lawyers, Pau Molins, Miriam Company, on her arrival at the Audiencia Nacional on the day her trial begins, on Nov. 20, 2023, in Barcelona, Spain.David Oller/Europa Press via Getty Images  by [Armani Syed](https://time.com/author/armani-syed/)  ## Armani Syed Syed was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Nov 20, 2023 11:40 AM UTC Shakira has [reached a last-minute settlement](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67472496) with Spanish prosecutors over allegations of tax evasion, on the opening day of her trial in Barcelona. The 46-year-old Colombian pop sensation, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, agreed Monday to pay a fine of €7.3 million ($8 million), despite saying she was “confident” the court would have found her not guilty. Shakira also accepted a further fine of €438,000 ($478,000) and will receive a suspended three-year sentence, the judge presiding over the trial said on Monday. The high-profile case alleged that Shakira failed to pay the Spanish government €14.5 million ($15.8 million) worth of taxes from 2012 to 2014\. According to Spanish law, anyone who remains in Spain longer than six months a year is considered a resident for tax purposes. As such, the dispute focused on Shakira’s time in Spain during those years despite listing her official address as in the Bahamas. Tax rates are considerably lower in the Bahamas than in Spain. Shakira was previously named in the “[Paradise Papers](https://time.com/5011000/paradise-papers-tax-havens-leak/)” investigation that revealed the offshore activities of some of the world's most powerful people. The prosecution was set to call [117 witnesses](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/19/shakira-faces-eight-years-in-jail-over-spanish-tax-claims) to testify on Shakira’s residency, including beauticians, healthcare professionals, and her driver. If found guilty, the _Hips Don't Lie_ singer was set to face eight years and two months imprisonment and a fine of €23.8 million ($26 million). In July, Prosecutors presented documents alleging that Shakira purchased a house in Barcelona in 2012, which serves as a family home with her ex-partner Gerard Piqué, a now-retired Spanish soccer player, and their two sons. The couple were married for 11 years before separating in early June. In response to the allegations, Shakira’s team argued that until 2014, most of her income was generated from international tours, during which she spent long periods abroad. Shakira has long maintained her innocence, which she reiterated in a statement published Monday, after her settlement. “Throughout my career, I have always strived to do what's right and set a positive example for others,” the statement said, adding that she has sought tax advice from consulting firms PWC and EY. “Unfortunately, and despite these efforts, tax authorities in Spain pursued a case against me as they have against many professional athletes and other high-profile individuals, draining those people's energy, time, and tranquility for years at a time.” “While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favour, 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,” the statement continued. Shakira has a second tax fraud investigation that is still pending, [according to Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/shakira-stands-trial-spain-alleged-tax-fraud-2023-11-19/). The Spanish government has been cracking down on tax evasion in recent years. A number of other high profile individuals have been pursued by Spanish authorities for similar charges, including soccer players Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who were also fined large sums of money. Both were found guilty but avoided prison time with suspended sentences. The country has implemented [new measures](https://www.blevinsfranks.com/spain-tax-evasion/) to find those who do not declare income and taxes and assets as stipulated by law. 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