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Gérard Depardieu has made headlines for things other than his acting before, but his decision to move to Belgium has taken the media – and French political circles – by storm. Although it is unlikely to affect his career, the Oscar nominee, in a letter published in today’s Journal Du Dimanche, says he is returning his French passport after being called “pathetic” by French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. The new French government has imposed a controversial 75% income tax on individuals earning more than 1M euros and Depardieu recently purchased a property across the French border in Néchin, Belgium where taxes are lower. This prompted Ayrault to tell France 2 television last week, “I find it quite pathetic to go just over the border. All this in order to not pay taxes.” Depardieu has inqured about obtaining a Belgian passport, the mayor of Néchin said Sunday, which would normally allow him to continue working in France under European Union rules. The actor is France’s best paid and perhaps most prolific. For 2012 and 2013, there are at least 10 films on his dance card and he may play a French politician embroiled in a sex scandal for Abel Ferrara later this year. Depardieu’s colorful reponse to Ayrault is excerpted below:
“Pathetic, you said ‘pathetic’ ? Now that’s pathetic!… I have always paid my taxes whatever the rate under all of the governments in power… The historical films in which I have participated demonstrate my love for France… Unfortunately, I have nothing left to do here, but I will continue to love the French people and the audience with whom I have shared so many emotions!… I am giving you back my passport and my social security… We no longer have the same country. I am a true European, a citizen of the world as my father always taught me… I’ve paid 145M euros in taxes in 45 years, I employ 80 people… I am not here to complain or to boast but I refuse the word ‘pathetic.’ Who are you to judge me this way, I ask you M. Ayrault… I ask you, who are you? Despite my excesses, my appetite and my love of life, I am a free man, sir, and I am going to remain polite.”
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Good for him. As he says, he’s paid 145 million euros in taxes already. When is enough enough? He’s an actor. Not a slave to the government to pay for their pet projects. He’s not the first French actor to leave France for the same reason. Of course the government is too stupid to realize that when you punish the successful, the successful get the hell out and go where they’re welcome. Which is no longer France. All that will be left in France soon are those who live to stab and blow up rabbis and Jewish children.
Damn straight. How much in taxes and how many people has Prime Minister Ayrault employed in his lifetime?
Gérard has been a little nutty lately, but in this case he was dead on. France is about to learn the same hard lesson California has been receiving an education on for the last few years: punish the very people who bring in jobs and revenue with insane tax rates, and watch them take their money, their business, and their jobs elsewhere.
Vive Depardieu!
I worked with Gerard once. He is wonderfully funny and very considerate about everything. Dude is a treasure, really. Leave Gerard Alone!
C’est vrai.
Typical of the rich people I know. Boast of how much they’ve paid in taxes, ignoring their refusal to pay what the law dictates. Move, don’t move. Do what you like. But, “The historical films in which I have participated demonstrate my love for France”? “I am a true European, a citizen of the world…”? The self righteousness makes me ill.
And your sense of entitlement to the fruit of other’s sweat sickens me. The government and you are entitled to nothing. Earn your own keep.
75% is insane
Income tax rates in the US for the richest Americans were as high as 90% just a few decades ago, and at that time our country was doing very well economically. So 75 or 90% may be higher than normal in today’s terms, but it’s definitely not insane.
…says the guy who probably has never paid any taxes in his life.
Um, okay.
I am tired of hearing about that 90% rate back in the 50′s. Did you know you could even write off credit card interest back than and there were a slew of other deductions!!!!!
What’s your tax rate, M? Self Righteous, indeed.
Well, I’m with Gerard….75% is way too too much. What is the French government thinking?
Basis current exchange rate 145M Euros is almost 200M Dollars paid in taxes!
The US Gov should hire Gerard to pull Polanski outta France to stand trial and repay him with a house here.
Prime example of what Is going to happen to Californians. Keep raising the rates and people will leave. Good one, governor moonbeam.
People already are leaving. Visit neighboring states… the majority of new residents are all former Californians.
As much as we don’t like rich people – but 75% is too much. Person will work his ass, get million dollars…and then give it all away and be left with 250.000. Or get 10 millions and then give all away and stay with 2.5 millions. No wonder they all run from France.
If such famous person like Gérard Depardieu ran than this is the point after all those other who were only considering it – now they will be like: “If Depardieu ran than I shall too”… And how many rich people will hide their income.
Even poor people don’t criticize Depardieu much. Because everybody thinks: “If I would be on that place and would have to give away 75% then I would run too”.
On Halle Berry thing: “She wants to move to France and live there for years I suppose. Where will she pay her taxes then? Does she know that she would have to give away 75%? I wonder how she plans to work in France. Will she fly to states for few months every time she will do movie?”
Johny Depp was living in France for years, right? Where did he payed his taxes? Does he live in France now or he moved when he split up with Vanessa?
Rich Americans living in Europe (where the taxes are higher everywhere than in the US) normally set up companies that they are employees of – so the company, which can be located anywhere in the world, collects the fee for their work – and they are paid something nominal out of that fee. The company pays living expenses and other things that would normally come out of the rich person’s pocket, and the rich person’s tax burden is reduced. (BTW, wherever an American lives in the world, he/she is required to pay US tax for income over a certain amount – last time I checked, it was $70,000).
I think Depardieu, much like other wealthy French residents who are taking the same steps, are appropriately responding to the policies of a young and inexperienced government who are communicating to its people that success is a bad thing, on the back of implementing a high tax rate to people who make over $1.3M per year so they can cut down the budget deficit. Before making any comparison between France and the US democrats vs republican tax argument, let’s look at France for a minute: The reasoning behind the high tax is to cut down the deficit. OK, fine. Except that there are only 26,000 French people who reportedly make more than $1.3M per year. Add it all up, and the income from taxing “the rich” won’t even make a dent in the deficit. Since the policy is economically ineffective, it’s reduced to being a message from the government to its people: “We’re going after the rich to show you that we despise them as much as you do”. It’s a very popular viewpoint there now. Sarkozy was a very competent president, but he suffered for being perceived as the “jet set” president and wasn’t popular with the narrow-minded French masses. Holland’s campaign was an antithesis to Sarkozy’s image and that’s why he won, but the poor man and his prime minister don’t have the acumen to run France. This tax policy is just one of many examples. Don’t get me started.
I think tax rates should be proportionate, there should be balance and fairness. But this is just ludicrous and if I was Depardieu I’d do the same thing. He’s an important asset to contemporary French culture. Who the F is this prime minister? A former Mayor of Strasbourg who will dive back into obscurity in a couple of years after doing a piss-poor job. He’ll only be able to claim the he drove out France’s most successful citizens out of the country. What a jerk….
For the record, one thing the article does not present particularly well is that the 75% tax is on earnings over €1 million. €1 million does not become €250k. It’d be closer to say that €2m becomes €1.25m (although that isn’t entirely accurate of course since the initial €1m is taxed, just at a more standard rate).
75% Income tax? That is absolutely ridiculous! Glad I don’t live in France.
Get ready for it if you live in California! So we can help close the gap in teacher’s pensions!
Depardieu’s money comes from the poor people who go to his movies, buy his wines, and support his lavish life style. 75% is ridiculous though, but to act like the 145 million euros he’s paid in taxes came from anyone other then his fans is also ridiculous. Tax rates should be equal for everyone, but some how I think the rich would still find that to hard to swallow and leave France anyway. This is all stupid.
Would you like to pay 75% in taxes, Jay? Or is it just other people you’d like to see punished for daring to do something with their lives? I find it hard to believe that the government has given Gerard Depardieu 145 million euros worth of service. What has America come to when success which used to be looked upon as a great thing and to be respected and inspired others to do the same is now a dirty word and something to be not only ashamed of but punished for? I’m glad I don’t have long left to live in this world.
You find it hard to believe that the government has given Gérard Depardieu 145 million Euros worth of service? Well, how about the 1 billion Euros it provides annually in film subsidies? I wonder how many movies Mr. Depardieu would make without them. Or would you (i.e. Hollywood) take him back to make some more “Bogus”? No? I didn’t think so.
Don’t get me wrong. I am all about individual success. But I find it hard to ignore that especially in this case individual success was nurtured and made possible by the exceptional good conditions French government provides for film production (through legislature as well as funds). So, it seems to me rather selfish to have only the other people pay for the very basis his individual success rests upon.
I’m all for making the rich pay more…but yeah, 75% is just fucking insane for anyone.