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Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan -
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Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan says he's paid too much tax in Australia and claims he's the victim of a witchhunt.
"If I was a tax evader which I'm not, I must be the dumbest one in the world," Hogan told the Nine Network.
"I keep coming back here to the country, and instead of fleeing to a tax haven, I fled to the United States of America."
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 to Australia for his mother's funeral, and is now banned from leaving the country until the stoush is settled.
Hogan, 70, who lives in Los Angeles with his wife Linda Kozlowski and their son Chance, says it's ridiculous authorities fear he might flee.
"I'm a flight risk? I'm sorry but that is just absurd?," he said.
Hogan has maintained his innocence since the investigation began seven years ago.
He denies he has paid too little tax in 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 cause I don't count the money - never have and I don't have to.
"Why would I, I mean you hire people to do that."
Hogan said when he moved to the US in the late 1980s he was asked by his tax advisers if he wanted to pay his tax in Australia or his new home country.
"I said no, I'm an Aussie that's where I come from, that's where all my grown up 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 seven years."
Hogan said US authorities ordered him to pay tax there.
"I then became a US resident for tax purposes," he said.
"But I did take the necessary legal steps to ensure that I was sending the money back here."
Hogan said he couldn't disclose the amount he is accused of owing because of tax secrecy laws, but it was between $A3 million and $A150 million - the figures last reported in the media.
"And I can tell you quite honestly, I can't pay it, I can't pay 10% of it," he said.
"I'm not as rich as people think I am - they think I did a movie that did $A300 million at the box office and I get that."
Hogan said he was grateful for the support people had given him but he didn't want sympathy.
"I want not to get special treatment," he said.
"I'm just Hoges and all I ever wanted was a fair go."
"I want people to say 'let him go because he didn't do anything'.
"Give me the benefit of the doubt - give me the chance to say this is a witchhunt, and it's wrong."
