An income tax is abhorrent.

A graduated income tax is doubly abhorrent. It's a law that does not apply equally to every individual, as all laws should. It is just designed to grab as much as possible from the labor of the nation and is claimed to be "fair". While it is more "equitable", the favored buzzword of today, it is not fair or just, in its unequal application. It simply punishes the production of the working class. The individual is challenged to always improve his income and a graduated income tax acts as a disincentive for anyone to do so. It also makes him more of a target for tax collectors - they will always scrutinize where the money is accruing. Donating to the right political party might ease the heavy-handedness of revenue services.
How do governments survive? Remember they are supposed to be small. Encouraging their populace to be educated instead of indoctrinated helps. If they can look after themselves the government doesn't have to.

Could a government survive if it were a charity? It certainly wouldn't if it even had a minimal perception of corruption or supplied unwanted or undesirable services to the public. But more brilliant minds than mine can think of better ways to fund the collective needs of a nation or State. It is up to the individual to look after himself, his family, his work or business and his community. That is his burden. The burden of the State is to see the individual is able to do that by administering justice and protection from threats, both foreign and domestic, against his ability to do so.