Famous French actor Gerard Depardieu is selling his historic Paris mansion and moves to Belgian border village of Néchin , to avoid high 75% top tax rate set to take effect in France next year. Golden Globe winning and Oscar-nominated actor caused a stir with his decision, and allegedly he even gave up his French passport.
Gerard Depardieu Lists Parisian Hôtel Particular
Hôtel Particulier (a French term for a grand privately-owned town house), built in 1820 and nestled in the posh 6th arrondissement of Paris has been listed on sale for €50 million ($65 million). This mansion features 20,000-square-foot of space including 20 rooms, 10 of which are bedrooms. Renovated by the actor in 2003, the property also boasts an extensive garden as well as a swimming pool, an almost unheard of luxury in central Paris.
French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault denounced his move to Belgium as “pathetic”. Depardieu’s reaction to criticism, penned in the letter propelled him nto the spotlight.
“We no longer have the same country. I’m a true European, a citizen of the world,” Depardieu wrote in the letter. He said his 2012 tax bill – 85 percent of his revenue – is fully paid, and added that he has worked since the age of 14, first as a printer, and that in last 45 years he has paid €145 million ($190 million) in taxes.
“I hand over my passport to you and my social security card, which I have never used,” the letter said, referring to Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.
It’s understandable that Depardieu doesn’t agree with the French President Francois Hollande’s 75per cent super-tax on the countries highest earners. The 63-year-old actor, who earns up to two million euros per film and has extensive business interests including wine estates and three Paris restaurants, would be hit hard by the new tax rules. [Real Estalker]
