Hogan Probed By Tax Authorities

The American Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been drafted in to help Aussie officials probe the actor - by ordering three American banks to hand over nine years' worth of his personal banking records.

Four companies related to the 68-year-old are also under investigation, court documents in Los Angeles reveal.

According to newspaper The Australian, Hogan is fighting the move, accusing the Australian Taxation Office of being on a "long-distance fishing expedition" to unlawfully obtain "irrelevant" information.

The star is the most high-profile target of a AUS$300 million ($290 million/GBP145 million) operation into tax fraud and evasion. It is thought attention turned to Hogan after details of a number of offshore trusts and companies holding AUS$40 million ($38.8 million/GBP19.4 million) was leaked to the press in 2005.