No, estate and inheritance taxes are not the same. See who pays what

While Grim Reaper guides you to the afterlife, Uncle Sam will be escorting your heirs to the IRS. Death can be a tax-triggering event, with two in particular you should be aware of: the estate tax and inheritance tax. Many people think they’re the same, but they aren’t. The estate tax is levied on the things the deceased owns or has certain interests in when they die and is paid by the estate. The inheritance tax is paid by heirs. The federal government has an estate tax only, and the threshold is high ...