No sales tax is awful! Instead of only getting taxed on purchases (WA), you pay 10% of your entire income to the state. It is tragic! And it also means any unreported wages are never taxed. It's pretty much the worst system possible.
If I were a millionaire, it would be a very different story, and I would end up paying more in taxes. But if I were that rich, a relatively small change in my tax burden wouldn't have any real impact on my lifestyle, so who cares?
I think sales taxes are generally regressive. They disproportionately impact the poor and middle class, who spend a greater percentage of their income on taxable goods and services than the wealthy.
The other thing income tax disallows is tax avoidance through nonconsumption. I have to pay it all regardless of how much I consume, which I try to keep low.
It also means that my adjusted wages per hour are lower. Spent 70 hours a week on a pressing project? Congrats, you don't get paid OT so not only is your hourly wage lower, but your taxes per hour are disproportionately higher.
$0+/$0+ | 5.00%
$3,550+/$7,100+ | 7.00%
$8,900+/$17,800+ | 9.00%
$125,000+/$250,000+ | 9.90%
The marginal rate is 9% starting at your dollars above $8,900 single or $17,800 married. Yes, I rounded to 10% in my statements. Even low income earners relative to the median are taxed astronomically in Oregon. It is simply not a progressive policy. It is a painful policy at best.
Oregon has the highest effective income tax for people earning $75k[1].
[1]: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/27/states-with-highest-income-t...
Oregon and WA are exceptions in the US. Most states have both sales and income tax. WA has sales only, and OR has income only. Both have real estate taxes too.