Officials are seeking four years of unpaid taxes from Shakira’s global income – not just from money earned in Spain – from between 2011 and 2014, reports the BBC.
Her partner is Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique, a Spanish national who has played for the team since 2008.
Shakira officially made Spain her place of residence in 2015. However, people who spend more than six months a year in the country are automatically considered residents for tax purposes.
Spanish media has reported that the bill could be in the tens of millions of euros.
The country’s Efe news agency said PwC, Shakira’s auditors, have confirmed the tax investigation.
Esteemed company
Shakira is by no means the only global superstar investigated for potential tax evasion by the Spanish authorities.
Until now, however, it has primarily been the vast sums of money earned in the football industry that has drawn intense scrutiny.
Lionel Messi and his father were both found guilty of tax evasion, with Lionel sentenced to 21 months in jail. This was later commuted with a fine in June but worth noting is that custodial sentences under two years are generally served on probation in Spain.
In July, Ronaldo appeared in court accused of not paying nearly €15m in taxes. His case is currently ongoing but, if convicted, he reportedly faces a fine of at least €28m and a jail term of three and a half years.
Manchester United manager Mourinho paid a fee in November to settle accusations that he defrauded the Spanish tax authorities.
Other famous names under the cosh include Luka Modric, Marcelo Vieira, Ricardo Carvalho and Angel Di Maria, all of whom play or played for Real Madrid.
