The company set to lead the Turnbull government's "digital transformation" of Centrelink previously ran a botched $800 million overhaul of the Australian Tax Office that delayed tax returns to one million Australians.

On Wednesday, Human Services Minister Alan Tudge announced management consultancy firm Accenture would transform the department's $100 billion welfare payment system as the government looks to leave behind months of controversy over its automated debt recovery system.

But the last time Accenture undertook a major $820 million overhaul of the Tax Office it resulted in 17,000 public complaints, 500 bug fixes, and reams of unintelligible data being sent to Centrelink, the organisation it is now set to digitally transform.

The company will be responsible for developing Centrelink's new website and payment system and providing what Mr Tudge's office describes as an "end-state technology solution".