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The trial against Shakira is set to go forward.
On Tuesday, a Spanish judge approved a trial against the Colombian singer over charges on six counts of tax fraud, the Associated Press reported.
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Prosecutors In Spain Want Shakira To Face 8 Years In Prison Amid Tax Trial
The charges were originally filed in 2018, accusing Shakira of owing approximately $19.9 million in taxes on earned income between 2012 and 2014.
Prosecutors in the case are seeking a prison sentence of up to eight years, along with a sizeable fine in the event she is found guilty of evading taxes.
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer has denied the charges, and rejected a deal with Spanish authorities that would have avoided a trial.
Shakira’s reps have said that the singer has paid all the taxes she owed, as well as millions more in interest.
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Much of the case rests on the contentious question of where Shakira resided from 2012 to 2014, with Spanish prosecutors claiming she spent more than half her time during that period in Spain, though her officially stated residence was in the Bahamas.
Shakira lived in Barcelona with her ex, soccer player Gerard Piqué, which whom she has two children.
In the past, Spain has also gone after soccer stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronalda over similar tax evasion charges. Both were found guilty, though their prison sentences were waived.
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