It is so oft repeated that one assumes government ministers must have been instructied to get across the message to the proles that the opposition ... “wants public spending cuts in order to pay for inheritance tax cuts for the very rich”.

But how much does the government actually collect in IHT ?  Whilst having a vague appreciation that it  is not very much (and at least not from for those of my clients  who do what they are told)  I was,  nevertheless, surprised, on digging out the Revenue’s own figures, to discover how little IHT contributes overall to the tax take.  Less than 1% of the total tax receipts, and not even as much as  any of the anti-fun taxes collected on beer, wine, spirits or tobacco.