Looming tax hikes by France’s new socialist government have triggered an exodus of the Gallic super-rich to ’wealth-friendly’ nations like Britain and Switzerland.
法國新上任的社會黨政府即將提出增稅，引發法國超級富豪出逃至英國或瑞士「對富人友善」的國家。
The latest estate agency figures have shown large numbers of France’s most well-heeled families selling up and moving to neighbouring countries. Many are fleeing a proposed new higher tax rate of 75 per cent on all earnings over one million euros.
最新的房地產仲介數據顯示，法國最富有的家庭大批出脫房地產，搬家到附近國家。法國提議將收入超過100萬歐元的人所得稅率增至75％，讓許多人因此逃出法國。
Sotheby’s Realty said its French offices sold more than 100 properties over 1.7 million euros between April and June this year - a marked increase on the same period in 2011.
蘇士比房地產公司表示，法國部門在今年4到6月售出100多處價值超過170萬歐元的房產，比2011年同期顯著增加。
Alexander Kraft, head of Sotheby’s Realty, France, said："The result of the presidential election has had a real impact on our sales. Now a large number of wealthy French families are leaving the country as a direct result of the proposals of the new government. These properties are then bought up by foreign investors looking for a stable real estate market like France to invest in."
蘇士比法國主管卡夫特說，「總統大選的結果對我們的銷售有很大衝擊。現在法國很多富有家庭都因為新政府提的法案離開法國。這些房地產被外國投資人收購，這些外資尋找像法國一樣穩定的房地產市場投資。」
Gilles Martin, a Swiss tax consultant, reported the same trend. "Since the socialists came to power in France, I have been deluged with inquiries from rich French people who would rather pay their tax in Switzerland."
瑞士稅務顧問馬汀也發現相同趨勢，「自社會黨上台後，向我諮詢的法國富人突然暴增，他們寧願在瑞士繳稅。」
Prime minister David Cameron angered the French last month when he said he would "roll out the red carpet" to wealthy French citizens and firms who wanted move out and pay their taxes in Britain.
英國首相卡麥隆上月表示，他願意用「紅地毯」來迎接法國富人及企業到英國納稅，這席話惹惱不少法國人。
新聞辭典：
trigger：動詞，觸發、引起。例句：An allergy can be triggered by stress or overwork.（壓力或工作過度可能引發過敏。）
well-heeled：形容詞，富有的。例句：Some well-heeled investors have built huge positions in gold.（部分富有的投資人持有大量黃金。）
deluge：動詞，蜂擁而至；壓倒。例句：He has been deluged with offers of work.（工作邀約讓他應接不暇。）
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