Many Australians regard multinational tax avoidance as the nation's top tax concern, even though the government has clamped down on the problem with measures some experts regard as draconian. 
A survey found 20 per cent of people said profit-shifting by multinationals was the biggest issue the government needed to tackle in the tax realm, just ahead of the GST and state taxes.
The survey was commissioned by accounting firm BDO. The firm's tax chief Mark Molesworth said it showed the government's messaging had failed. "If multinational tax avoidance is the biggest issue that the public thinks needs to be dealt with, then the government has not sold its message about the measures it has already introduced," he said. "These measures have real teeth so the government needs to do a much better job of selling their message to the public."
Australia has been an early mover in an OECD crackdown on multinational tax avoidance. A doubling of penalties for companies found to be using complex structures to shift profits offshore is one of a number of changes the Coalition has made.
During Australia's presidency of the G20, then treasurer Joe Hockey highlighted the need to take strong action on multinational tax avoidance.
A Senate inquiry into multinational tax avoidance, which has called before it representatives of global giants including Apple, Chevron and GlaxoSmithKline, has drawn further attention to the matter.
Of 523 respondents to the survey, which included individuals and representatives from big and small businesses, 20 per cent were most worried about tax dodging by such companies. Nineteen per cent said the government's priority should be GST reform. Slightly fewer named state taxes such as stamp duties.
The BDO survey is in its fifth year. This is the first time multinational tax avoidance has emerged as the No.1 response to the question: "What do you consider are the three tax measures in most urgent need of reform?"
BDO national tax director Lance Cunningham said the results proved there was an appetite for change, even in relation to the rate or base of the GST, typically considered political no-go zones. "Very close behind the multinational tax issue were GST changes and state tax changes. That is consistent with our previous years' surveys, where those two were actually on top."
Most respondents were against further limiting tax-advantaged superannuation contributions.