The tax office has ramped up its pursuit of actor Paul Hogan over alleged tax liabilities.
Hogan is a target of the $300 million Operation Wickenby crackdown on tax fraud and evasion, which was set up three years ago.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has enlisted the help of the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in ordering three American banks to hand over nine years worth of Hogan's banking records, a move the actor is fighting, News Limited reported today.
According to court documents filed in Los Angeles, the IRS has also demanded the records of four companies related to Hogan, who has started proceedings to have the summonses set aside, saying the ATO is on a "long distance fishing expedition".
Hogan's Australian-based lawyer, Robinson Legal's David Rydon, said the actor regarded the ATO's actions as an unlawful attempt to obtain irrelevant material.
"Mr Hogan is in the invidious position of not being able to publicly comment on any issues because of legislative constraints which may or may not prohibit him from public disclosure," he told News Limited.
"The unfairness of a position where a person may be the target of a government investigation but is prevented by statute from publicly defending himself or justifying his actions is obvious."
Hogan, who lives in Santa Barbara, has been a US resident for two thirds of the nine years in question.
