'Prisoner' Paul Hogan stunned by ATO tactics * By Nick Tabakoff and Janet Fife-Yeomans
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* August 26, 2010 8:50AM
Paul Hogan has been told he cannot leave Australia until he has paid an alleged multi-million-dollar tax debt ATO prevents Hogan leaving AustraliaPAUL Hogan has been left a prisoner in his own country after the tax office took advantage of his trip from the US to attend his mother's funeral and banned him from leaving.
The ATO's order stands until he pays an alleged multi-million dollar tax debt on undeclared income from Crocodile Dundee franchises.
Hogan, 70, was grounded after arriving in Sydney on Friday after the death of his mother Flo, who was 101.
Officers served the notice at the home of one of Hogan's daughters.
His lawyer Andrew Robinson said: "It was served on Paul's daughter at her Sydney home on Friday night with the funeral on Saturday morning. Imagine on the night before you bury your mother for this to happen."
DevastatedAn angry Hogan is now stuck in Australia without his American wife, Linda Kozlowski, and their 12-year-old son Chance.
"The process of detaining Paul in Australia away from his wife and child in Los Angeles has devastated him and he hopes that discussions between us and the ATO will lead to a prompt resolution allowing him to return to his family," Mr Robinson said.
"Paul believes that this exercise is a manifestly unfair attempt to gain leverage by the ATO."
Mr Robinson said Hogan had continually shown his willingness to return to his home country.
"He has five children, nine grandchildren and a brother and sister in the country and has travelled frequently [even to appear in two movies] during the period that the investigation has been under way," he said.
Read more:
http://www.news.com.au/money/money-matters/paul-hogan-grounded-in-australia-by-australian-tax-office-over-alleged-tax-debt/story-e6frfmd9-1225910072267#ixzz0xfNmRrye
