Popstar Shakira accused of tax fraud again: Other tax-troubled celebrities
Columbian pop sensation Shakira faced a second round of tax-related charges from the Spanish government. Prosecutors claimed that Shakira committed tax fraud amounting to $7.1M in 2018 by not disclosing earnings from her El Dorado World Tour, among other payments. The Spanish prosecutors released the details of the investigation on Tuesday, which was initiated in July. Here's a look at other notable tax-troubled celebrities.
Meanwhile, trial for Shakira's first case is set for November
Shakira is facing six counts of tax fraud in Spain. The first case centers on her residency in Barcelona from 2012 to 2014, during which she stands accused of failing to pay approximately $15.3M in taxes. The singer is set to face trial in Barcelona in November, where, if she is found guilty, she could face eight years in prison and a $23M fine.
Earlier, Christiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi were convicted of tax evasion
Before Shakira, football icon Cristiano Ronaldo was caught committing tax fraud. He reached a settlement in 2018, where he paid a substantial $22M in taxes on previously undeclared income. Similarly, Lionel Messi, who played for Barcelona, was found guilty of three counts of defrauding tax authorities, amounting to $4.6M. Financial discrepancies occurred from 2007 to 2009, related to Messi's income generated from endorsement deals.
Grammy winner Lauryn Hill was sentenced to prison
In 2013, Grammy-winning artist Lauryn Hill faced a three-month prison sentence as she failed to pay approximately $1.8M in taxes spanning the years 2005 to 2007, reportedly. Following her release from prison, she was placed under house arrest for three years. In 2016, sources reported that Hill was embroiled in tax troubles once more. However, the singer refuted the claims on social media.
Nicolas Cage, Stephen Baldwin: Other celebrities who faced tax troubles
In 2010, actor Nicolas Cage disclosed that despite having paid over $70M in taxes throughout his career, he was still indebted to the tax authorities. Cage owed $14M, with $6.7M of that amount attributed to the year 2008. Meanwhile, in 2013, actor Stephen Baldwin pleaded guilty to the charge of not paying New York state income taxes from 2008-2010. The amount totaled to $4,00,000.
