Why does it take HMRC 2 months to register the self employed?

A contributor to the blog brought this to my attention. On HMRC's website they say that the expected turnaround times for paper based self assessment and self employed registrations is currently 8 weeks. And that it will stay at 8 weeks until November.

The implication is that they would prefer the time lag was shorter than this. And that the position will improve but not until November. But 8 weeks from the posting of an application until confirmation is received of the self employment/assessment registration? As my anonymous contributor notes:

"Are they trying to ENCOURAGE the black economy?"

HMRC explain that the delay is due to the redeployment of resources to higher priority work. It is this that will result in the lengthy turnaround times for paper forms handled by the Central Agent Authorisation Team until 31 October 2010.

This seems to be yet further evidence that HMRC's staffing numbers were cut too sharply by Gordon Brown and that MORE staff are required to deal with basic functions such as the prompt registration of compliant taxpayers who want to register their liability to pay tax on time.