No joke... it takes six civil servants to deal with your tax return

How many revenue inspectors does it take to deal with one tax return?

It might sound like a joke, but the answer is far from amusing for the million people whose self-assessment forms are trapped in a massive backlog of unopened mail.

Each is now handled by up to six civil servants after consultants were paid more than £7million to 'streamline' the process.

In the past, one or, at most, two inspectors handled a return. But now half-a-dozen staff are involved, making a mockery of claims that the creaking system is being reformed.

The process starts with an administrative assistant - the lowest grade - assembling forms into bundles of 50. A colleague then logs them...and so on.

Peter Lockhart, of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said: "It's now based on the car industry. One man fits the doors and another the radiator grills. We are deluged with calls but staff have been told to say there's no unopened post from earlier than October 17."

Confirming The Mail on Sunday's revelations of the backlog two months ago, he added: "There are thousands of forms which have been hanging around for at least four months."

Revenue & Customs said: "The more complex returns may need more people working on them. The idea is to offer a better service."