Spanish singer Isabel Pantoja has lost a double lawsuit against the Spanish Tax Agency in the National Court regarding 700,000 euros in unpaid income tax.
The legal dispute centered on her personal income tax returns for the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years. Tax authorities concluded that the artist used an asset management company to channel her earnings in order to obtain tax benefits.
Pantoja filed a claim challenging a primary court ruling that required her to pay the 700,000 euro income tax debt. The National Court dismissed her appeal and upheld both rulings confirming her tax liabilities.
Besides paying the 700,000 euros, the court determined that Pantoja must pay an extra sanction for failing to pay on time and for committing a fiscal irregularity infraction. The exact monetary total of this additional penalty has not yet been disclosed.
Supreme Court Appeal Options
The decisions of the National Court are not final, leaving Pantoja with the opportunity to escalate her legal claims to a higher court. Her legal team is studying an appeal to the Supreme Court, though her series of judicial failures suggests court authorities may not rule in her favor.
The Tax Agency has remained a major adversary for Pantoja as her tax liabilities have accumulated over several decades. Her financial difficulties intensified after she served time in prison for laundering 1.15 million euros during the Malaya corruption case.
Tax authorities regularly place her name on their public list of tax defaulters in an effort to exert pressure on her to settle outstanding balances. Whenever she generates income from work projects or stage performances, the Tax Agency serves as the primary beneficiary of her earnings.
Property Sales and Personal Loans
Spanish tax officials have carried out partial asset seizures against Pantoja to recover outstanding money. To raise funds, the singer has been forced to put for-sale signs on several of her most cherished properties, relinquishing personal memories in the process.
Although Pantoja has returned to the stage to generate revenue, her earnings have proven insufficient to cover her liabilities. Consequently, she has sought loans from trusted friends to meet ongoing expenses.
Meanwhile, earlier creditors are still waiting for Pantoja to return money they lent her in 2014 prior to her entry into prison. She remains in a delicate financial situation but maintains a firm intention to remain solvent without forfeiting her standard of living.
