The latest instalment of corporate tax transparency figures show almost a third of large private companies paid no tax in 2013–14.

Privately owned companies earning more than $200 million in revenue were captured under the tax transparency measure, which picked up 321 firms.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) said 98 of those firms did not pay tax in 2013–14.

The biggest revenue earner not to pay tax was West Australian grain handling cooperative CBH, which paid no company tax in 2013-14 on more than $3.4 billion in revenue.

Among the other largest private companies that paid no tax in 2013–14 were:

Pratt Consolidated Holdings, despite more than $2.5 billion in revenue;

Pratt Consolidated Holdings, despite more than $2.5 billion in revenue; Thorney Investments, run by Richard Pratt's son-in-law Alex Waislitz, which earned $430 million in revenue;

Thorney Investments, run by Richard Pratt's son-in-law Alex Waislitz, which earned $430 million in revenue; Hoyts, which had $417 million in gross earnings;

Hoyts, which had $417 million in gross earnings; McDonald's Asia-Pacific Consortium (MAC), the global supplier of the fast food outlet's beef, which had $478 million in revenue.

In a statement, MAC said the private Australian company complies with the Australian tax system.

"MAC completes annual Australian income tax returns as required and meets all the further reporting and compliance obligations that are conditions of its tax office agreement," the statement said.

"MAC also collects and fully pays GST in both Australia and New Zealand and is compliant with fringe benefits and payroll tax regimes in both countries."

Some legitimate reasons for paying no tax

However, tax commissioner Chris Jordan said that did not necessarily mean they were dodging their obligations.

"Having nil tax payable does not necessarily equate to tax avoidance," he said.

"Out of those 98 companies that reported nil tax payable, their associated entities did have over $700 million of tax paid."

There are more than 11,000 related entities associated with those 321 companies, but Mr Jordan said that also did not mean they were used for tax avoidance.

"A typical high-end private group does have multiple companies, partnerships, trusts and superannuation funds," he explained.

"But we aggregate the entirety of these private groups, so if they've got 50 companies or five, that doesn't particularly concern us because we just add up the 50."

There are several legitimate reasons why companies might pay no tax: even though they may have more than $200 million in revenue, they may not have made a profit on it; they may have had losses in previous years that they could offset against their 2013–14 profit; or they may have made business investments they could offset against their profits.

Oxfam calls for tax crackdown

However, some of the companies might be using tools such as profit shifting to overseas entities in low-tax jurisdictions to make sure a large part of their Australian revenue was not taxable income.

Oxfam Australia's Joy Kyriacou said Tuesday's report comes on top of ATO data released late last year showing that 40 per cent of large public companies paid no tax.

"It's time for the Australian Government to crack down on large companies dodging taxes," she said in a statement.

"These companies should have to justify their investments in tax havens, and be required to publicly report the taxes they pay – both in Australia and overseas."

Rinehart's company paid $466 million in tax

Overall, the ATO data showed those companies paid total tax of about $2 billion, plus $1.6 billion from associated entities.

The biggest taxpayer among the large private companies was Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting, which paid $466 million from $2.85 billion in revenue.

Other notable taxpayers were:

Harry Triguboff's Meriton, which paid almost $76 million in company tax from $1.19 billion in revenue;

Harry Triguboff's Meriton, which paid almost $76 million in company tax from $1.19 billion in revenue; Perron Investments, owned by Western Australian property and automotive tycoon Stan Perron, which paid $47 million from $484 million in revenue;

Perron Investments, owned by Western Australian property and automotive tycoon Stan Perron, which paid $47 million from $484 million in revenue; Linfox, owned by trucking magnate Lindsay Fox, which paid nearly $34 million from $2.02 billion in gross earnings.

Low tax take a reason not to cut corporate rates: Greens

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen told reporters the data was only made available due to Labor's multinational tax policy proposal, issued last year.

Mr Bowen said that the Coalition and the Greens joined forced last year to pass watered down tax transparency legislation.

"What we need to see is all companies operating in Australia paying their fair share of tax, which is the reason Labor has led this debate," he added.

Mr Bowen also dismissed potential company tax cuts as a "thought bubble" by Treasurer Scott Morrison, saying it was now "Plan Q" in the range of tax reforms.

The Greens' treasury spokesperson Adam Bandt said that "big business in Australia is getting away with murder" when it comes to tax.

"Now is not the time to be giving Australia's most wealthy companies a big business tax cut," he said.

"Now is the time to ask how can we toughen up our tax laws and get rid of unfair tax breaks."