Depardieu granted Russian citizenship as tax row goes international

Gérard Depardieu at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. File photo, source: wikimedia

MOSCOW: -- It was the sort of below-the-belt blow Francois Hollande could have done without. Still reeling from a series of political thumps at home and abroad, the right hook delivered by Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Thursday gave the French president his first bloody nose of 2013.

The Kremlin's announcement that Putin had signed official papers granting Russian citizenship to French national hero Gerard "Gege" Depardieu hit home. It also turned what had seemed a somewhat comic hissy fit between the actor and his government into an international spat.

Given that France's civil code requires a citizen to have another nationality in order to relinquish being French, the melodrama might have ended, had Putin not joined the fray.

Hollande should have seen it coming. Ever since Depardieu, 64, entered the political ring to spar with his country's leadership over taxes weeks ago, this was a punch waiting to be landed.

Enraged at having his decision to leave France for fiscal exile in neighbouring Belgium described by French prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault as "shabby", Depardieu, star of the Hollywood film Green Card, had turned bellicose, threatening to give up his French passport.

And there, given that France's civil code requires a citizen to have another nationality in order to relinquish being French, the melodrama might have ended, had Putin not joined the fray. [more...]

Full story: http://www.smh.com.a...0104-2c7rf.html

-- The Sydny Morning Herald 2013-01-04

Mediocre and uninteresting Frenchman, becomes mediocre and uninteresting Russian.

And a hearty thanks to France for acting as the world's comic punchline for all these years...

Edited January 4, 201313 yr by submaniac

should i remind all the people criticizing him that 75% of tax is totally insane, see the reaction from will smith on this video.

anyway, the council of france declared this law illegal(for the moment).

That's what you get when you have a socialist president. Higher taxes and more hand outs to the lazy people who don't want to work.

That's what you get when you have a socialist president. Higher taxes and more hand outs to the lazy people who don't want to work.

And more leftist <deleted> who imply all the time that if you have money you are somehow a bad person.

75%... That is not a tax rate... - that's THEFT.

If you made more than a million euros a year, and were asked to pay 75% tax because of it...

Be HONEST... - Wouldn't you leave the country that's asking you to hand over 3 out of every 4 euros YOU earn?

Just the saving in tax could buy you a flat in London every other year and the UK isn't exactly a low tax country, so it's not like the cost of leaving is going to be an issue.

Russia may say tax at 13 percent one year, but shake you down for much more at any given time. Not prudent to place large sums of money in Russia or your money will be at mercy of both government and mob. Russian wife says no one in Russia trust Putin so not sure Gerard should either. I assume neither he nor his money will ever actually reside in Russia.

http://m.cnbc.com//id/100352653

Russia may say tax at 13 percent one year, but shake you down for much more at any given time. Not prudent to place large sums of money in Russia or your money will be at mercy of both government and mob. Russian wife says no one in Russia trust Putin so not sure Gerard should either. I assume neither he nor his money will ever actually reside in Russia.

http://m.cnbc.com//id/100352653

75% tax in France (idea of Hollande wich is stopped now for the time being)

or

13% flat tax rate in Russia ??

Both are insane and the latter also counts for Billionaires versus a plumber or office girl.

Go figure.

I wonder what's true of the rumors that Putin himself is by far the richest Billionaire of them all...?

Edited January 4, 201313 yr by LaoPo

Big governments everywhere have gotten used to the idea that all personal wealth is theirs for the taking. USA is no exception.

I reckon if you abolished all tax havens and loopholes then France wouldn't need to charge such outrageous tax rates. Depardieu probably has all his cash paid direct to Lichtenstein or Monaco anyway, I doubt he'd pay that rate except on what he earns in France.

75%... That is not a tax rate... - that's THEFT.

If you made more than a million euros a year, and were asked to pay 75% tax because of it...

Be HONEST... - Wouldn't you leave the country that's asking you to hand over 3 out of every 4 euros YOU earn?

75% after 1 million, not all of course, but yes.

On Depardieu; a popular bloke in France maybe, but a bit of a nobody in the grand scheme of things and how typical of oddball Putin. Lot of growing up needed all round me thinks.

Edited January 6, 201313 yr by jackr

The joke here is really on the Russian people, having their citizenship make a mockery of all over the world (Thaksin next in line?).

I really don't understand what Putin aims to gain from this, certainly not improved relations with the 'west'.

The guy has apparently started to think he is above the law :

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/gerard-depardieu-skips-court-hearing-drink-driving-charges-article-1.1235854

No sympathy from me for him.

The guy has apparently started to think he is above the law :

http://www.nydailyne...ticle-1.1235854

No sympathy from me for him.

I'm not a big fan of the guy, but the article says he wasn't obligated to appear. I do approve of anyone taking action to protect their assets, from stupid tax laws.

Edited January 9, 201313 yr by beechguy

The guy has apparently started to think he is above the law :

http://www.nydailyne...ticle-1.1235854

No sympathy from me for him.

I'm not a big fan of the guy, but the article says he wasn't obligated to appear. I do approve of anyone taking action to protect their assets, from stupid tax laws.

I hadn't seen that part; thanks. I guess that was a bit of sensationalist headline then.

Pissing in a bottle in the aisle on an airplane, drunken assault and wrecking a scooter while wasted. The guy doesn't need a tax lawyer. He needs an AA meeting.

Pissing in a bottle in the aisle on an airplane, drunken assault and wrecking a scooter while wasted.

Look man, he's French (well I guess now Russian). While such conduct may be deemed inappropriate by the societies of other countries...

I think anyone expected to pay a 75% income or even 50% for that matter should leave his country if he's forced to pay it. It's ridiculous to have to pay so much tax just to let the socialist government pay the lazy.

Edited January 10, 201313 yr by gl555