Getting the tax message across

Inheritance tax (IHT) is a different proposition to other taxes ' you don't know how much it will be, when it will be and by the time it has to be paid, you'll be gone anyway. Add to this the typical British reserve about anything to do with death and it is hardly surprising that IHT is one of the most unsheltered taxes. Nearly £2bn a year is paid out to the Inland Revenue for what is arguably a completely optional tax ' so what can be done to avoid it? There are complications as there is no way of knowing how long we are going to live, how much will be needed to fund our retirement, ...