Actor Paul Hogan is not allowed to leave Australia until he pays a disputed multi-million dollar tax bill, Popeater.com reported on August 26. His lawyer, Andrew Robinson, announced the news, saying that after Hogan arrived in Sydney on August 20 to attend his mother’s funeral, he was immediately served with an Australian Taxation Office order.

Hogan, most remembered for his role in the ‘Crocodile Dundee’ trilogy, currently resides in Los Angeles. The order is “absolutely devastating” for his wife, his ‘Dundee’ co-star Linda Kozlowski, and their 12-year-old son Chance, Robinson added, saying the two are still in L.A.

Australian tox and crime authorities have been fighting Hogan for the past five years, citing evidence that he used offshore bank accounts to hide profits form the original low-budget ‘Dundee,’ which was released in 1986. Australian authorities add he owes 38 million Australian dollars ($34 million USD) on an undisclosed income. Hogan has denied any wrongdoing, and Robinson said he’s negotiating with tax authorities to have the order revoked.

Written by: Karen Benardello

Paul Hogan