Shakira is set to appear in court in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday to face charges that she allegedly failed to pay €14.5 million ($15.8 million) in Spanish income tax around a decade ago.

The 46-year-old Colombian musician potentially faces up to eight years in jail and a €24 million ($26.2 million) fine if found guilty of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities, The Guardian reported.

The charges revolve around the claim that Shakira resided in Spain for more than half of 2012, 2013 and 2014 - when she was still dating Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué - and was therefore liable for tax, a claim vehemently denied by the artist.

The prosecutor's office also argued that a Barcelona property acquired by the "Hips Don't Lie" hitmaker in May 2012 was used as a family home.

After reportedly declining a settlement offer from authorities to close the case, Shakira is expected to testify in the trial, which spans 12 hearings scheduled until Dec. 14.

The trial, presided over by Judge Jose Manuel del Amo Sanchez, will feature a panel of three judges and over 100 testimonies.

To establish her Spanish residency, the prosecution has summoned 117 witnesses, including hairdressers, studio technicians, dance teachers, therapists, beauticians and even Shakira's chauffeur.

Shakira vehemently denied the accusations, characterizing them as "false" and part of a campaign to tarnish her image in an interview with Elle last year.

"These are false accusations," she said. "First of all, I didn't spend 183 days per year at that time at all. I was busy fulfilling my professional commitments around the world. Second, I've paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit. So, as of today, I owe zero to them."

Shakira added that she worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers, so she was "confident that I was doing things correctly and transparently from day one."

Shakira
(Photo : REUTERS/Mike Blake)

The "Waka Waka" singer also alleged that the Spanish tax authorities "do this often" with not only celebrities like her but also regular taxpayers.

"The Spanish tax authorities saw that I was dating a Spanish citizen and started to salivate. It's clear they wanted to go after that money no matter what," she claimed. "They knew I wasn't in Spain the required time, that Spain wasn't my place of work or my source of income, but they still came after me, with their eyes on the prize."

The news of Shakira's upcoming trial garnered mixed reactions on social media.

"Not looking good because Spanish authorities don't mess about with tax fraud," one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"I suggest [she] never come back to Spain. If she returns there, she'll lose money," another user claimed, alleging that the Spanish government "wants" her money.

In addition to this tax fraud case, Shakira faces additional charges of failing to pay €6.6 million ($7.2 million) in taxes in 2018.

A Spanish prosecutor alleged that the singer failed to declare profits of $12.5 million from an advance payment for her El Dorado World Tour, among others, Reuters reported.

Shakira lived with Piqué for 11 years, and the couple have two children. She and their two kids moved to Miami, Florida, after the pair split last year amid allegations that Piqué cheated.

Last week, Shakira attended the 2023 Latin Grammys in Seville, Spain, where she took home three awards, including best song.

Tags: Shakira gerard pique