Public should know Google taxes: senator

The federal government could be owed hundreds of millions of dollars from Google after the tech giant agreed to pay back taxes in the UK, an independent senator says.

Nick Xenophon has seized on revelations the search engine giant will pay $A264.60 million to the British government covering back taxes since 2005.

He's questioned whether Google has been adopting the same "ploy" in Australia.

"If Google hasn't been paying their fair share of taxes in the UK ... it's fair to assume there could well be problems here in Australia," he told reporters in Adelaide on Saturday.

"How much does Google owe Australian taxpayers? It could be in the hundreds of millions - we need to know," he told AAP.

The South Australian senator plans to question incoming ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie, a Singapore-based Google executive, about the issue when she takes up the gig at the broadcaster in May.

Senator Xenophon says it's clear that receipts of Google's advertising revenue, their biggest source of revenue, are often sent offshore.

"She (Ms Guthrie) might be able to help us," he said.