The colonies had no problem with taxes in principle. After all, the Molasses Act had been around for thirty years and no one paid it any mind. They also didn't pay anything as a result of it, which was the entire problem in the first place.

The colonies were used to just ignoring British laws they didn't like, but with the Sugar Act of 1764, that was not going to fly anymore. The Stamp Act the following year had the same expectation of enforcement.

To make matters worse, the provisions in the act for enforcement were on the harsh side. Forgery is a serious crime, but to be punishable by death on the first offense? That seems excessive. The British were attempting to assert two things: 1) a right they kind of already had but hadn't been exercising, and 2) a very aggressive show of absolute power.

One or the other might have worked, but not both at the same time.