Belgium: Blame France for Depardieu Move

The Local ^ | 17 Dec 2012

[nickcarraway]

Belgium's foreign minister said Monday that France was solely to blame after its top actor Gérard Depardieu threatened to give up his passport following a move to seek tax exile in the neighbouring country.

Depardieu puts Paris mansion on market (13 Dec 12) Ayrault slams tax exiles after Depardieu move (12 Dec 12) Depardieu moves to Belgium over tax hikes (10 Dec 12)

Didier Reynders said his country must not be made a "scapegoat" for Depardieu's move, which the French prime minister suggested was an unpatriotic act.

"There have been no measures taken by Belgium to attract any French national," he said on RTL radio. "There has been an evolution in the French tax system which may have had consequences."

"One must look at things for which citizens are leaving their own country, even if these are tax reasons," he added.

Reynders earlier said many Belgian sports celebrities had sought tax exile in Monaco and that Belgian authorities had accepted that. He also noted that many Belgians shopped in France due to lower value added tax.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault – who called Depardieu "pathetic" for seeking tax exile in Belgium – the 63-year-old star said he had been treated unfairly after paying millions of euros in taxes.

Depardieu has joined some of France's wealthiest business figures in Belgium following moves by President François Hollande's Socialist government to tax annual incomes above one million euros ($1.3 million) at 75 percent.

Unlike France, Belgium does not impose a wealth tax and has not had one since 1830. Its income and inheritance taxes are also lower.

In his letter, Depardieu, who has extensive business interests including wine estates and three Paris restaurants, accused the Socialists of driving France's most talented figures out of the country.

He said that over 45 years of working and running businesses in France he had paid 145 million euros into state coffers.

Ayrault's attack came after it emerged that Depardieu had taken up residence in Nechin, a tiny village just over the border in Belgium, which is a favoured spot for wealthy French nationals avoiding tax.

"I find it quite pathetic," Ayrault had said. "Everyone loves him as an artist, but paying your taxes is an act of solidarity and patriotism."

The affair was seized on by the right-wing UMP party of Hollande's predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy, whose leader Jean-Francois Copé said the president – who famously said he did not "like the rich" – was destroying the country.

"What I regret above all is how the Socialist government is running the country into the ground," Copé said on Monday, denouncing the "tax bludgeoning which is hitting all French citizens."

"He is in the process of taking our country backwards."

France's richest man Bernard Arnault came under fire in September when it emerged that he had applied for Belgian citizenship. Arnault, the boss of luxury conglomerate LVMH, denied he was seeking to become a tax exile, saying he wanted Belgian nationality "for personal reasons".

[jdsteel]

Hey, maybe THIS time they can tax their way to prosperity!!!!

[Lurker]

I’d say that Belgium should simply declare war on France. The only trouble with that is that France wold immediately surrender and then Belgium would be stuck with tens of millions of French.

[Pontiac]

Hey, maybe THIS time they can tax their way to prosperity!!!!

OH! They wouldn’t want to do that!

Then they would become RICH!

[TigersEye]

I misread the title and thought Belgium was blaming France for a Depardieu movie. That’s an issue that should be taken up with the UN Human Rights Commission.

[Chode]

[Cronos]

I'm arguing with a boob on Huffies and you can not believe what liberals think until you read it -- here's what he's saying

• "Once you make a certain amount, sorry but it's going elsewhere more productive for society". I told him so once you earn more than needed to buy bread and water for a month, it should go to the country, right? Are you willing to give up 85% of your salary above $5000 a year in taxes? Oh, and also you shouldn't live in a house, live in a 500 sq foot apartment in the inner city for now and no car -- that's a luxury, instead you should use public transport and the money saved can be "more productive for society" -- btw, I use public transport exclusively, don't own a car -- do you? if you do, why aren't you selling it and giving the money to the government?
  
  
• "You don't get it. 85% of my income doens't go to taxes. 85% of it would go after some threshold is meant. So after say 2 million dollars, 85% of it is going to taxes." -- to which I replied taking YOUR words " 85% of it would go after some threshold is meant. So after say 5 thousand dollars, 85% of it is going to taxes." -- is this acceptable to you as your tax liability?

The insanity of these folks is incredible -- do they ever stop to think "so who sets the threshold"? And "85% should go to govt for better productivity"? HUH??

Liberal morons.

[Cronos]

The insanity of this is incredible “he’s not being patriotic to pay 85% of his salary to the government” — huh? Make it 85% for all...

[Malesherbes]

Note that France has not only an income tax but a wealth tax. They take a percentage of what you earn (up to 75% under Hollande) but also a percentage of what you have managed to accumulate. Double whammy.

[Chode]

yup, fair is fair... right???