New York is not as scary as it sounds if you are an average senior. Last year my state income tax was $113.00. The sales tax in my area is 8% but there is no tax on food items and I don't buy much stuff anymore. They have the STAR program that subsidizes property tax for seniors making less than $86,000.00. They also exempt the first $20,000.00 of a taxable annuity/pension from state income tax.
The chart has Alaska as having a sales tax, but there is no state sales tax. Localities DO, however, have sales taxes if you live in many towns. Anchorage does not have a regular sales tax, but they do have an extra tax on gasoline, rental cars and hotels, and they want a 5% tax on alcohol. Marijuana also has a tax in Anchorage, but I have no idea how much. We have no state income tax, and we get $186,000 off the value of our property for tax purposes as seniors, and I get 1 tax-free vehicle. Cost of living is high here, but the taxes definitely are not. If you add in the $1000+ rebate from the state for every man, woman and child resident...what can I say?
One good thing about being an average senior is that taxes are less scary. We don't pay a lot of taxes here in Maine either but it would be another matter if I were in my top earning years, and even more so if I were to open a business here in Maine.
I don't know the specifics but they may have included that in their considerations. Or perhaps the use tax.