Shakira Made To Pay $7 Million In Fresh Tax Probe After Recent Tax Fraud Settlement

Famous musician Shakira is facing yet another tax investigation from the Spanish government and has reportedly paid millions in this new probe. The news comes just days after the iconic singer settled her tax fraud case and admitted to the charges. However, it's not clear exactly why Shakira paid over $7 million in the new probe, but it's not an admission of guilt.

The recent tax fraud case was settled with a suspended 3-year sentence, the pending taxes and interest, and an approximately $8 million fine. Despite the acknowledgment, Shakira insisted on her innocence in a settlement and heavily criticized the Spanish government for targeting high-profile people.

After months of battling the Spanish Government, Shakira recently settled her infamous tax fraud case. However, the "Waka Waka" singer isn't quite free from danger, as prosecutors have launched a new probe into another possible tax fraud. Details of the investigation were made public in a report from Spanish Newspaper El Periodico, per TMZ.

According to the report, Shakira has paid over $7 million in the new case, which is an investigation into alleged tax fraud from 2018. This is an entirely different case from the 2012-2014 tax fraud charges the singer just admitted to last week. She's already paid out around $27 million for leniency in that case.

The report revealed that Shakira has "deposited" millions in the new investigation but wasn't clear on the purpose of the money. It's currently unclear if the $7 million is for bond purposes or to keep the singer away from bars. The money could also be a settlement amount to make the tax fraud charges disappear or halt the probe.

The report from El Periodico cites several anonymous court sources who think the cash is meant to secure leniency for Shakira when the investigation concludes. However, they're very clear that the payment isn't an admission of guilt to the charges, which the singer has insisted on through all her tax cases.

If the investigation turns out positive, the report notes the possibility of Shakira losing that $7 million and still facing charges. This would mean that the "Hips Don't Lie" singer would have paid about $34 million on her various tax charges, which she's fought for many years.

The most recent tax-related issue was the tax fraud case Shakira just settled last week. The singer cut a plea deal with the Spanish Government to settle the case, in which she was charged with failing to pay about $15 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014.

The plea deal means that Shakira receives a suspended 3-year sentence and still has to pay the due taxes with interest and a $8 million fine (7.3 million euros). However, the fine and deal are still in Shakira's favor, as prosecutors reportedly wanted to pursue a much larger amount. The singer is worth over $200 million, so it's a small amount for her.

Despite the plea deal and acknowledging her guilt to the charges in court, Shakira still insisted on her innocence. In a statement released by her lawyers, the "Hips Don't Lie" crooner maintained her innocence and said she only took the deal to spare her children the emotional stress of a public fight against the government.

She wrote, "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, including my upcoming world tour and my new album, both of which I am extremely excited about. 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."

Shakira also criticized the Spanish government for their persistent attacks against her in the statement. The singer wrote that she'd done her best to maintain good business practices and gotten the best financial counsel, but that didn't matter to the authorities.

She shared that she'd gotten advice from the "world's preeminent tax authorities, PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited and Ernst & Young Global Limited," who have remained her advisers during the tax fraud investigation and court battles.

Shakira wrote, "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 tranquillity for years at a time."