Will Smith on 75% Tax in France: ‘God Bless America!’
By Michael W. Chapman
– France’s Socialist president, Francois Hollande, has proposed rasing the tax rate to 75 percent on income above 1 million euros ($1.24 million) a year, a proposal that liberal actor Will Smith expressed surprise over – but did not disagree with – when asked about it earlier this year.
On France’s TF1 in early May, Smith explained why he supported the idea of paying higher taxes, saying, “I have no issue with paying taxes and whatever needs to be done for my country to grow. I believe very firmly that my ability to sit here — I’m a black man who didn’t go to college, yet I get to travel around the world and sell my movies, and I believe very firmly that America is the only place on Earth that I could exist. So I will pay anything that I need to pay to keep my country growing.”
The interviewer then said, “Do you know how much in France you would have to pay on earnings above 1 million euros [French President Francois Hollande's proposal]? Not 30 percent – 75 percent.”
At that point, Smith said, “75? Yeah, that’s different, that’s different. Yeah, 75. Well, you know, God bless America.”
