Belgian singer Angèle is currently under investigation by the French tax authorities for alleged tax fraud, according to an investigation published on 16 February by L'Informé.
According to Le Soir, the Brussels-born singer has been accused by the French authorities of being a tax resident in France. The Belgian daily had these reports confirmed from her team on Monday.
In a previous interview, Angèle mentioned spending half the year in Paris. However, a prolonged stay could justify her being taxed in France.
On Monday, officials raided her Paris apartment and seized documents. The courts recently upheld these actions, despite the singer's objections.
To support their suspicions, investigators cite several factors: her company's activities linked to French partners (Universal Music France, Auguri Productions), her regular use of her Paris apartment and certain aspects of her personal life, according to Le Soir.
Angèle's team maintains that the singer and her company are complying with their legal obligations by declaring all their income in Belgium. It also comes just days before the release of her new single with French electro outfit Justice.
When questioned by Le Soir, the singer's lawyer, Sébastien Watelet, stated that she has always been a tax resident in Belgium. Angèle declares all her income there, as well as that of her company Saïmiri, while also adding that she files a property tax return in France.
Angèle at the 14th edition of the MIA in 22 April 2022. Credit: James Arthur Gekiere/Belga.
According to the solicitor, the French authorities are seeking to verify whether her tax residence and the company's registered office should not be considered French.
"For Angèle, it is natural to pay tax in Belgium, where she lives, where her teams work on a daily basis, where all her advisers are based and where her business is structured," her team explains.
The mention of "presumptions of fraud" is, in the opinion of her counsel, a procedural step to obtain judicial authorisation to conduct investigations, without prejudging the existence of fraud.
The artist's Parisian residence, owned since 2022, is said to be used mainly for business travel.
According to Angèle's counsel, the purpose of the home visit was to gather evidence for an ongoing tax audit, with which the singer claims to be cooperating by providing the requested documents.
