As you haul yourself out of the quagmire, beware the outstretched hand: it might be the taxman’s. His job is to rescue not you but your debt-mired government. So far finance ministers have only rounded on high earners, cannily deflecting attention from the parlous state of public finances of so many developed economies. But higher taxes, like death and debt, are likely to come for all, rich and poor alike.

The UK has announced plans for a 50 per cent top tax rate next year on those who earn more than £150,000, while in France, former prime minister Alain Juppé has called for les impôts to rise once the crisis has passed. Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, had committed to capping total taxes at 50 per cent of income before he was elected in 2007. But, as Mr Juppé said, that was then. In Germany, the government’s Social Democrat coalition partners have called for tax rises after September’s election, and Ireland recently raised taxes on middle and higher income earners in an emergency budget.