Paul Hogan, who rose to prominence in the 1980s as “Crocodile Dundee”, feels pretty important these days. He is being pursued by the Australian Tax Office and the Internal Revenue Service for moneys allegedly owed.
Hogan estimates that he has paid the ATO $100 million in tax. Yet, the ATO continues to pursue him – and has asked the IRS for help. Hogan, originally from Australia, now lives in the US.
The IRS has ordered several US banks to hand over records to the ATO – but Hogan has lashed back, claiming that Australian officials were not legally entitled to such information.
Hogan’s very public reaction to the ATO: “Come and get me, you miserable bastards.”
Hogan later continued, speaking about the investigation, “As a guy who brought millions into Australia, they should build a statue at the tax office to me and send me a Christmas card. I lived in America and still paid tax in Australia for 4 1/2 years when I could have paid tax in America, and it would have been cheaper, because I thought we needed the money back home more than they needed it here.”
Wouldn’t his living and paying his taxes in Australia be the same thing that happened to Al Franken? He paid his taxes where he lived instead of where he worked?