Uncle Sam serves up tax bill to Philippoussis

Melbourne, Sep.6 (ANI): Tennis ace Mark Philippoussis is being chased by the US taxman and has sold his Williamstown family home to avoid having it repossessed.

It has now emerged that the US Internal Revenue Service has pursued the Scud for about 1.4 million dollars during the past decade.

US records show the IRS still wants about 500,000 dollars for tax debts dating back to 2003.

Philippoussis, who according to his mother is playing in a tournament in San Diego, revealed to the Sunday Herald Sun in May that his money was gone, he was depressed and he was battling to save the family home from repossession.

"Money came in left, right and centre; you just thought that's how it was for everyone and that's how it always will be," he said at the time.

The Davis Cup hero put his Williamstown home on the market to avoid having it repossessed over his unpaid 1.3 million dollar mortgage, but it was passed in for 775,000 dollars in July.

Wayne Elly, of Hocking Stuart, yesterday confirmed Scud's house had sold recently for about the asking price of 950,000 dollars.

Philippoussis once owned at least five properties in the US, selling the last one in 2005 at a loss.

Official US records suggest he still owes about 180,000 dollars for the 2004 financial year and about 317,000 dollars from 2003.

A former tax debt for about 918,000 dollars dating back to 2001 was satisfied in 2004, according to the Palm Beach County records office.

The IRS would not comment this week, but a US tax expert said the documents suggested the agency was confident it could recoup the debt. (ANI)