Are there really states that pay higher taxes than federal? In California, a high tax state, it was nowhere close.

I mean to say state on down, including property taxes, sales tax, gasoline taxes, local payroll taxes. Could be wrong but if you had a house that went up in value over the past few years I could see a situation where the federal income tax you pay is less than your property tax bill alone.

Edit: The more I think about it the very poor pay no federal income tax and the struggling pay very little, they could easily exceed it with cigarette or alcohol taxes for example.

Yeah only applies to very low income and in those cases most progressive states do give breaks on stuff like property tax.

Fair enough, but for what it's worth, cigarettes, alcohol and gasoline are all taxed federally as well.