Preparing for taxing times

Gerry Robinson's Friday night TV series Can't Take It With You on BBC Two made fascinating viewing. While not billed as reality TV, it dissected a number of real-life situations where difficult decisions had to be made about the passing of wealth from one generation to the next, usually - but not inevitably - on death. Despite ongoing publicity over the benefits of a will, only 30% of us actually have one. Perhaps this is a reflection of a general reluctance to discuss money and death, as well as a desire to defer or avoid complex and emotion-laced decision making. The inheritance tax (I...