Crocodile Debt-ee

Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan says he’s paid too much tax in Australia and claims he’s the victim of a witch-hunt.

“If I was a tax evader, which I’m not, then I must be the dumbest one in the world”, Hogan said yesterday.

“I keep coming back here to the country, and instead of fleeing to a tax haven, I fled to the USA”.

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is demanding Hogan pay an alleged multi-million dollar tax debt.

He was served with a departure prohibition order in mid-August after returning from his mothers funeral, and is now banned from leaving Australia until the debt is settled.

Hogan, 70, who lives with his wife Linda Kozlowski and their son Chance, says it’s ridiculous that authorities fear he might flee.

“I’m a flight risk?…I’m sorry but that’s just absurd”.

Hogan has maintained his innocence since the investigation began 7 years ago.

He denies that he has paid too little tax to Australia.

“I’ve paid too much”, he said.

“I have paid more than a wise businessman would. In the years when I was paying tax in Australia, I probably went past David Jones, but I couldn’t tell you because I don’t count the money. I never have and I don’t have to…why would I, I mean, you hire people to do that”.

Hogan said on Tuesday, when he moved to the USA in the late 1980’s he was asked by his tax advisors if he wanted to pay tax in Australia, or his new home country.

“I said no, I’m an Australian and that’s where I come from, that’s where all my kids are. I’d rather pay my tax in Australia”, he said.

“This is the only time I had a big tax discussion and took any instructions about tax”.

“So I did pay it back home for the next 7 years”.

Hogan said that US authorities ordered him to pay tax there.

“I then became a US resident for tax purposes”, said Hogan