Colombian pop star Shakira has settled a tax fraud case with Spanish prosecutors. She paid a €7.5m fine to avoid going to trial and a potential jail sentence of eight years. The allegations were about €14.5m in unpaid taxes. Shakira denied any wrongdoing but settled to protect her children. She wants to move on from the stress of the past few years and focus on her family and career.

The case was about where Shakira lived between 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors said she lived in Spain but claimed her official residence was somewhere else. According to Spanish law, if you spend more than six months in the country, you’re considered a resident for tax purposes. Shakira argued that Spain wasn’t her main home during that time. Prosecutors showed evidence that she bought a house in Barcelona in 2012, where she lived with her partner at the time, Gerard Piqué. Shakira’s lawyers said most of her money came from international tours, and she spent a lot of time outside Spain.

Shakira said she was frustrated with the Spanish tax authorities, who she believed targeted her because of her relationship with Piqué, who is Spanish. She declared Spain as her tax residence in 2015 and said she’s paid €17.2m in taxes with no debts. Piqué was fined €2.1m for tax evasion between 2008 and 2010. Shakira and Piqué announced their breakup in June after being together for 11 years and having two children. Shakira wants to do what’s right and be a positive example. She’s ready to move forward and focus on her family and future opportunities in her career.

Original news source: Shakira: Singer settles Spanish tax fraud case with $7.5m fine (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Ask students to work in pairs to summarize the main points of the article in their own words. They should aim to do this in under two minutes, focusing on the key information: the tax fraud case, the settlement, Shakira’s arguments, and the personal background that may have influenced the situation.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements about the article and ask students to agree or disagree (e.g., “Celebrities are often unfairly targeted by tax authorities,” “Settling a case is an admission of guilt,” etc.). Students can walk to different sides of the room based on their opinion, and then discuss their reasons with a partner.

– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write down keywords from the article on cards (e.g., “tax fraud,” “settlement,” “residence,” “prosecutors,” “fine”). Students work in teams. One student must describe the word on the card without using the keyword or other obvious words related to it, while the others guess the word. Rotate the student who describes the words after each correct guess.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have students discuss in small groups or pairs what they think might happen next in Shakira’s career and personal life following this settlement. Encourage them to use future tense structures and to justify their predictions based on information from the article.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. One group lists the pros of Shakira’s decision to settle the case, while the other group lists the cons. Afterward, have a representative from each group present their arguments, and then open the floor for a class discussion on the topic.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the total amount of unpaid taxes Shakira was accused of owing?
2. How much did Shakira pay as a fine to settle the tax fraud case?
3. Why did Shakira decide to settle the case with Spanish prosecutors?
4. What criteria does Spanish law use to determine if someone is a resident for tax purposes?
5. What evidence did prosecutors present to show that Shakira was living in Spain?
6. Why did Shakira feel she was targeted by the Spanish tax authorities?
7. What is the relationship between Shakira and Gerard Piqué, and what happened to them in June?
8. After settling the case, what are Shakira’s intentions for her personal and professional life?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Colombian pop star Shakira has settled a tax (1)______ case with Spanish prosecutors. She paid a €7.5m fine to avoid going to trial and a potential jail sentence of eight years. The (2)______ were about €14.5m in unpaid taxes. Shakira denied any wrongdoing but settled to protect her children. She (3)______ to move on from the stress of the past few years and focus on her family and (4)______.

The case was about where Shakira lived between 2012 and 2014. Prosecutors said she lived in (5)______ but claimed her official residence was somewhere else. According to Spanish law, if you spend more than six months in the country, you’re (6)______ a resident for tax purposes. Shakira (7)______ that Spain wasn’t her main home during that time. Prosecutors showed (8)______ that she bought a house in Barcelona in 2012, where she lived with her (9)______ at the time, Gerard Piqué. Shakira’s (10)______ said most of her money came from international tours, and she spent a lot of time outside Spain.

Shakira said she was (11)______ with the Spanish tax authorities, who she believed (12)______ her because of her relationship with Piqué, who is Spanish. She declared Spain as her tax residence in 2015 and said she’s paid €17.2m in taxes with no debts. Piqué was fined €2.1m for tax evasion between 2008 and 2010. Shakira and Piqué announced their breakup in June after being together for 11 years and (13)______ two children. Shakira wants to do what’s (14)______ and be a (15)______ example. She’s ready to move forward and focus on her family and future (16)______ in her career.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is your opinion on celebrities being involved in tax fraud cases?
2. Do you think famous people are more likely to get in trouble with the law? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if you found out your favorite singer was accused of not paying taxes?
4. If you were a celebrity, would you pay extra attention to your taxes? Why or why not?
5. What do you think about Shakira’s decision to settle the case to avoid stress for her family?
6. Do you believe that celebrities have a responsibility to be positive role models? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to make a tough decision to protect your family? What did you do?
8. Do you think it’s fair for someone to pay a fine if they believe they did nothing wrong? Why or why not?
9. How important is it to follow the laws of a country when you’re living there, even for a short time?
10. What would you do if you were in a foreign country and didn’t understand the tax laws?
11. Do you think Shakira’s relationship with a Spanish citizen might have influenced the tax authorities’ decision to target her?
12. If you had to move to another country, what would you do to make sure you stay on the right side of the law?
13. Do you like the idea of settling disputes out of court, or do you think people should always go to trial? Why?
14. How do you think Shakira’s children might be affected by their mother’s legal issues?
15. Do you think paying a large sum of money, like Shakira did, is enough to fix a mistake with taxes? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. settled
2. fraud
3. fine
4. trial
5. allegations
6. residence
7. evidence
8. targeted

Meanings:
(a) Legal process to determine guilt or innocence
(b) Singled out or focused on for negative attention
(c) Claims or accusations of wrongdoing
(d) Proof or facts that support a claim or argument
(e) Deception or dishonesty for personal gain
(f) Reached an agreement or resolution
(g) Money paid as punishment for breaking the law
(h) Place where someone lives or stays
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was the reason Shakira settled the tax fraud case with Spanish prosecutors?
(a) To protect her children
(b) To avoid paying the fine
(c) To go to trial
(d) To receive a jail sentence

2. What were the allegations against Shakira in the tax fraud case?
(a) €14.5m in unpaid taxes
(b) €7.5m fine
(c) €17.2m in unpaid taxes
(d) No allegations were made

3. How long do you have to spend in Spain to be considered a resident for tax purposes?
(a) More than three months
(b) More than six months
(c) More than one year
(d) More than two years

4. Where did Shakira claim her official residence was during the time in question?
(a) Spain
(b) Barcelona
(c) Somewhere else
(d) Her partner’s house

5. What evidence did prosecutors show to prove that Shakira lived in Spain?
(a) She spent a lot of time outside Spain
(b) She declared Spain as her tax residence
(c) She bought a house in Barcelona
(d) She paid €17.2m in taxes

6. Why did Shakira believe she was targeted by the Spanish tax authorities?
(a) Because of her international tours
(b) Because of her unpaid taxes
(c) Because of her residence in Spain
(d) Because of her relationship with Gerard Piqué

7. What happened to Gerard Piqué in relation to tax evasion?
(a) He was sentenced to jail
(b) He was fined €2.1m
(c) He was acquitted of all charges
(d) He was not involved in the case

8. What did Shakira want to focus on after settling the tax fraud case?
(a) Her breakup with Gerard Piqué
(b) Her future opportunities in Spain
(c) Her frustration with the Spanish tax authorities
(d) Her family and career

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The allegations were about €14.5m in unpaid taxes.
2. Shakira denied any wrongdoing but settled to protect her children.
3. Shakira is looking to prioritize her family and career after the challenges of the past few years.
4. Shakira denied that Spain was her main home during that time.
5. Spanish law considers you a resident for tax purposes if you spend more than six months in the country.
6. Colombian pop star Shakira resolved a tax evasion case with Spanish prosecutors by paying a €7.5m fine.
7. The case was about where Shakira resided between 2012 and 2014.
8. She avoided going to trial and a potential jail sentence of eight years.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What was the reason behind Shakira’s tax fraud case with Spanish prosecutors?
2. How much money did Shakira pay to settle the case and what was she trying to avoid?
3. Why did Shakira decide to settle the case, according to the article?
4. What evidence did prosecutors use to argue that Shakira was a resident of Spain?
5. How has Shakira responded to the actions of the Spanish tax authorities, and what are her plans for the future?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What was the total amount of unpaid taxes Shakira was accused of owing?
Shakira was accused of owing €14.5 million in unpaid taxes.

2. How much did Shakira pay as a fine to settle the tax fraud case?
Shakira paid a €7.5 million fine to settle the case.

3. Why did Shakira decide to settle the case with Spanish prosecutors?
Shakira settled the case to avoid a trial and potential jail time, but mostly to protect her children and move on from the stress.

4. What criteria does Spanish law use to determine if someone is a resident for tax purposes?
Spanish law considers you a resident for tax purposes if you spend more than six months in the country.

5. What evidence did prosecutors present to show that Shakira was living in Spain?
Prosecutors showed evidence that Shakira bought a house in Barcelona in 2012 and lived there with her partner, Gerard Piqué.

6. Why did Shakira feel she was targeted by the Spanish tax authorities?
Shakira felt targeted by the tax authorities because of her relationship with Piqué, who is Spanish.

7. What is the relationship between Shakira and Gerard Piqué, and what happened to them in June?
Shakira and Gerard Piqué were partners for 11 years and have two children together. They announced their breakup in June.

8. After settling the case, what are Shakira’s intentions for her personal and professional life?
After settling the case, Shakira wants to focus on her family and continue pursuing opportunities in her career.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) fraud
(2) allegations
(3) wants
(4) career
(5) Spain
(6) considered
(7) argued
(8) evidence
(9) partner
(10) lawyers
(11) frustrated
(12) targeted
(13) having
(14) right
(15) positive
(16) opportunities
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. settled
Answer: (f) Reached an agreement or resolution

2. fraud
Answer: (e) Deception or dishonesty for personal gain

3. fine
Answer: (g) Money paid as punishment for breaking the law

4. trial
Answer: (a) Legal process to determine guilt or innocence

5. allegations
Answer: (c) Claims or accusations of wrongdoing

6. residence
Answer: (h) Place where someone lives or stays

7. evidence
Answer: (d) Proof or facts that support a claim or argument

8. targeted
Answer: (b) Singled out or focused on for negative attention
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was the reason Shakira settled the tax fraud case with Spanish prosecutors?
Answer: (a) To protect her children

2. What were the allegations against Shakira in the tax fraud case?
Answer: (a) €14.5m in unpaid taxes

3. How long do you have to spend in Spain to be considered a resident for tax purposes?
Answer: (b) More than six months

4. Where did Shakira claim her official residence was during the time in question?
Answer: (c) Somewhere else

5. What evidence did prosecutors show to prove that Shakira lived in Spain?
Answer: (c) She bought a house in Barcelona

6. Why did Shakira believe she was targeted by the Spanish tax authorities?
Answer: (d) Because of her relationship with Gerard Piqué

7. What happened to Gerard Piqué in relation to tax evasion?
Answer: (b) He was fined €2.1m

8. What did Shakira want to focus on after settling the tax fraud case?
Answer: (d) Her family and career
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The allegations were about €14.5m in unpaid taxes. (Answer: True)
2. Shakira denied any wrongdoing but settled to protect her children. (Answer: True)
3. Shakira is looking to prioritize her family and career after the challenges of the past few years. (Answer: False)
4. Shakira denied that Spain was her main home during that time. (Answer: False)
5. Spanish law considers you a resident for tax purposes if you spend more than six months in the country. (Answer: True)
6. Colombian pop star Shakira resolved a tax evasion case with Spanish prosecutors by paying a €7.5m fine. (Answer: False)
7. The case was about where Shakira resided between 2012 and 2014. (Answer: False)
8. She avoided going to trial and a potential jail sentence of eight years. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧