[Eva]

Not true, Washington is not heavily populated, has no income tax and low property taxes, but we are still #2 on the list of most heavily taxed states.

[Clemenza]

I've seen better studies than this one indicating what a high-tax state Connecticut has become. I can honestly say that CT and NJ only look good taxwise when compared to New York CITY, although even that is not entirely true, as our property taxes here in the city (despite Bloomberg's recent hike) are still substantially lower than the suburbs.

[Mr. Bird]

So what's not true? Regardless of population or the presence of local taxes, if the majority of Washingtonians earn substantial salaries, the percentage burden will be necessarily higher than that of a state with lower average salaries.

Example: If average income in MS is $20k/year, their federal percentage burden falls in the 15% range. If WA averages $70k, the percentage burden is closer to 27%. So, a state with higher incomes (note NY, CT, and NJ) will by definition have a higher percentage burden.