You seem to be confusing marginal tax rate with effective tax rate. People making 300k in California will pay between 33% and 39% effective tax rate (depending

You seem to be confusing marginal tax rate with effective tax rate. People making 300k in California will pay between 33% and 39% effective tax rate (depending on marital status), including State, Federal, and FICA. And that’s without simple tax sheltering techniques like pre-tax deduction for health care, contributing to a 401k, and deducting mortgage interest. https://smartasset.com/taxes/california-tax-calculator https://smartasset.com/taxes/california-tax-calculator