Mr Jordan took issue with the title of the ABC Four Corners episode, "A Mongrel Bunch of Bastards", and related story in Fairfax papers, as "highly offensive and inaccurate".

"Why did the ABC think it was ok to call the staff of the ATO a mongrel bunch of bastards," he asked MPs at the hearing. "I can assure you the people working at the ATO are not mongrels or bastards."

The title of the Four Corners episode came from a quote by one of the people interviewed during the media investigation. Mark Freeman,  whose business had been audited by the ATO, told the investigation: "In dealing with the ATO, I've never come across such a mongrel bunch of bastards in my entire life."

Mr Jordan said he had not launched an official complaint when the investigation aired in early April but was still considering writing to the directors of the ABC with an official complaint. He had not so far as "I've been accused of becoming too sensitive".

Mr Jordan was asked by Labor's Kristina Keneally why he refused to appear on the Four Corners program. He said it was an ATO group decision for him not to appear. "It was our decision that the head of the small business group Debbie Jenkins was the most appropriate person to do that [interview]," Mr Jordan said.

Nevertheless Mr Jordan said the agency would take steps to address the issues raised by the investigation, including trialling an independent review for the small end of town.

Currently only large companies with revenue of more than $250 million are granted an independent review, and the ATO has previously said the service will not be extended to small businesses and individuals due to resourcing limitations.

"We are going to trial an independent review process for certain small business audits from July 1 - with the intention over time that businesses, regardless of size, have access and rights for a fit-for-purpose review prior to finalisation of audit," Mr Jordan told Senate Estimates.

Mr Jordan said the ATO had also asked the Australian National Audit Office to review the agency's debt collection process.

This follows other investigations already underway. Revenue and Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer launched a probe into the tax office on the back of the Fairfax Media/ Four Corners investigation.  Treasury is undertaking the review, with input from Mr Noroozi, and Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell.

"The reporting last month by the ABC and Fairfax raised genuine concerns and prompted a call from Labor - heeded by the Turnbull Government - to launch an investigation into the Australian Tax Office," Mr Leigh said.

On other matters, Mr Jordan said the tax office expects to collect around $10 billion more from large corporations in income tax for the 2017/18 financial year than in the previous year. He said while this can be attributed to economic growth and commodity price changes, the ATO has also contributed to this increase through better taxpayer compliance in this market, both voluntary and ATO-assisted.

There were 590 taxpayers under review or audit as part of a focus on wealthy individuals and associated groups, including trusts and aggressive tax planning. In the year end to March, the agency had raised almost $1.5 billion in liabilities against this taxpayer segment.

On the black economy, he said the ATO had conducted more than 6700 reviews so far this year, and collected almost $190 million in taxes and penalties.