15%!!! Holy moly! And everything is just peachy with Canada's economy?
Idaho's sales tax is 6%.
High sales tax certainly has a bearing on what I purchase. I take into account what the thing is really going to cost...especially big ticket items.
Property tax is another thing. It's quite high in Washington, but not as high as a lot of places. My little quarter acre lot I own in Washington has a property tax of over $300 a yr. And that's just the land. The property tax on my 5 acres in Idaho, with a big shop, small house and mountain view is a little less than my rather plain Jane lot in Washington with no improvements. Of course, there are reasons for that....more schools. If you want lower prop. tax, live somewhere where there are fewer children. LOL. Almost all the prop. tax is used for schools.