Shakira Reportedly Pays Nearly $25 Million in Back Taxes to Spanish Government

Shakira
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The singer is reportedly under investigation for possible tax fraud, a claim her lawyers have denied.

Shakira has reportedly paid a hefty sum to the Spanish government.

According to several reports by Spanish media outlets, the "Try Everything" singer handed over more than 20 million euros (approximately $25 million) to the government of Spain, a portion of a debt authorities claim the singer has failed to settle.

The alleged debt and subsequent payment are related to the government's ongoing investigation into the possibility of tax fraud, Barcelona's El Periodico newspaper first reported on Monday.

The investigation is reportedly attempting to establish whether or not the Colombian singer legally resided in Spain between 2011 and 2014, where she may have lived with her longtime boyfriend, Barcelona Futbol Club soccer player Gerard Piqué. The pair have been together since 2010 and share two sons, 5-year-old Milan and 3-year-old Sasha.

Per Spanish law, if Shakira spent at least 183 days living in the country, she would be considered a legal resident and thus fiscally responsible for paying taxes on her global income acquired during that period.

However, if she spent less than 183 days living in the country, she would only be on the hook for income earned within Spain itself.

The 41-year-old singer and her legal team reportedly claim that she was not living in Spain during the years in question and that she did not try to willfully mislead investigators. Shakira claims to have been a legal resident of the Bahamas, where she owns a home and filed her taxes.

A rep for Shakira has not responded to ET's request for comment.

El Periodico detailed the extent of the government's investigation into Shakira's residency and potential tax fraud, which included interviewing her stylist and exhaustively studying paparazzi photos of the singer to pinpoint her location on different dates.

The 20 million euros Shakira reportedly paid is said to cover the debt the government believes she owes just in 2011 and authorities are still extensively investigating possible taxable income from 2012 through 2014.

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