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Myths about French tax avoidance dispelled
Contrary to popular belief, fewer than 1% of French nationals living in Belgium avoid paying French taxes, La Libre Belqique has found.
A study commissioned last year by the French Consulate in Brussels found that around 1,000 individuals – or less than 1% of registered French nationals living in the Belgian capital – get out of paying French taxes, mainly on wealth.
The number is even more significant given the increase in French residents from 81,608 in 2007 to 121,146 – a jump of 50%.
As for the main tax offenders, the study found that they tend not to be recent arrivals, but individuals living here for some time who are now Belgian citizens.
Sylvain Berger, the former French Consul General in Brussels, told the newspaper that while the number of French expatriates relinquishing their citizenship has risen, it remains “very limited, compared to the number of foreigners living in Belgium who have acquired French citizenship”.
Comments
Why would you be paying any French taxes if you don't live there and don't have property there?
How is 81,608 to 221,146 a jump of 50%? And why/how are foreigners living in Belgium acquiring French citizenship?
Yea, confusing report! Makes no sense at all.
A bit of dyslexia this morning - the figure was indeed incorrect and has been corrected. Thanks for pointing it out!
But there is still no explanation as to why the French who left are paying French taxes?
And perhaps fewer than 1% are avoiding French taxes because they are not due. Honestly, silly article.
And this suggests 99 percent of French living in Belgium are paying French taxes! Ridiculous! Terrible article.