World News for Students of English

05-08-2021 07:00

Colombian pop star Shakira could stand a trial for alleged tax evasion of 17 million dollars in Spain.

According to a judge at a court near Barcelona, Spain, there is sufficient evidence to hold a trial for Shakira’s alleged tax evasion between the years 2012 and 2014. The Spanish tax law says that anyone who lives in Spain for at least 183 days is liable to pay taxes in Spain.

Apparently, Shakira lived in Spain for more than 200 days in each of those three years, making her liable to pay taxes in the country. The judge said that the singer and her financial advisor used a series of companies in offshore tax havens to attempt to hide the sources of her money during those three years.

Shakira’s lawyers argued over the meaning of ’main residence’, saying that her main residence was in the Bahamas. According to Spanish media, Shakira’s home is in the Barcelona area, with her longtime partner, FC Barcelona football defender Gerard Pique, with whom she has two children.

Difficult words: tax evasion (the illegal non-payment or underpayment of tax), liable (responsible by law), tax haven (a country or place which has a low rate of tax, and people choose to live there or register companies there in order to avoid paying higher tax in their own countries).

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