United States corporations avoid an estimated $US1.45 billion ($2.06b) of tax in Australia each year by shifting their profits to low or no tax countries, research shows.

A joint report by advocacy and union groups Tax Justice Network, Oxfam, Global Alliance for Tax Justice and Public Services International says in 2012 US multinationals shifted $500 billion to $700 billion, or roughly 25 per cent of their annual profits, mostly to countries where these profits were not taxed. This means $1 out of every $4 of profits generated by these multinationals is not aligned with real economic activity.

An estimated $1 out of every $4 of profits generated by U.S multinationals is not aligned with real economic activity. Credit:Karl Hilzinger

The report's figures are significantly above OECD estimates of about $US100 billion to $US240 billion being annually lost due to multinational tax avoidance schemes.

The report says Australia is one of the biggest losers in the G20 – based on which nations get disproportionately low profits – coming in 12th after the United States, Germany, Canada, China, Brazil, France, Mexico, India, Britain, Italy and Spain.