Overview

• French authorities and Belgian judicial officials conducted searches on February 11 as part of a European investigation into alleged tax fraud by Gerard Depardieu.
• Depardieu is accused of falsely declaring his primary residence in Belgium since 2013 to avoid paying higher taxes in France, including a wealth tax introduced in 2012.
• The investigation, opened in February 2024, also examines whether Depardieu failed to declare income and deprived France of significant tax revenue.
• Depardieu's lawyer has denied the allegations, calling the judicial methods legal but ineffective, and claims similar accusations have failed in the past.
• Separately, Depardieu is scheduled for trial in March on charges of sexual assault stemming from incidents in 2021, accusations he has consistently denied.