HMRC reportedly paid Capgemini at least £4.2 billion after planning to replace Aspire

The Register reported that HMRC paid Capgemini at least £4.2 billion across 15,726 transactions between 2014 and July 2026. It said HMRC had previously told MPs in 2015 that it planned to replace the Aspire contract in phases rather than extend it, but later agreements in 2015 and 2016 kept some Aspire services running beyond the contract’s June 2017 end date. HMRC officials told The Register the contract awards to Capgemini are fully compliant with UK procurement legislation and government policy.