The 63-year-old "Cyrano de Bergerac" star announced last week he was moving to the small Belgian town of Nechin just over the French border, a decision which was described by French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault as "shabby", reported BBC News.
A new legislation states that anyone earning over 813,935 pounds will face a 75 per cent rate of income tax, and Ayrault was said to have branded Depardieu "pathetic" for buying the property in Nelchin.
A letter attributed to Depardieu in Le Journal du Dimanche read, "I am leaving because you consider success, creativity, talent, anything different, must be punished. I don't expect to be pitied or praised, but I reject the word 'pathetic'."
Depardieu said that he would surrender his French passport and his entitlement to social security benefits, the latter of which he said he has never used.
Writing that he has been working since the age of 14 and has "always paid his taxes, regardless of the rate, under all governments", the actor said that while he still loves his home country, he feels "insulted" by the new tax law.
"I have paid 145 million euros in tax in 45 years, I have 80 people working in companies that were created for them and which are managed by them," Depardieu said.
"Who are you to judge me? So, I ask you, Mr Ayrault, Prime Minister, (president) Mr (Francoise) Holland, I ask you, who are you? In spite of my excesses, my appetite and my love life, I'm a free man, sir, and I'll keep this polite," he added.
Unlike France, Belgium does not impose a wealth tax. Its income and inheritance taxes are also lower.
