The USA has "deductions", which are convoluted rat races where everyone does a bunch of paperwork so they all get a small discount which is cancelled out by higher overall rates. The IRS can't tell you which deductions to take, since they don't know your whole life situation.

It's the same structure that makes you pay 3% extra for everything you but so you can get 1-2% back as a credit card refund, and makes you get a supermarket loyalty card, and frequent flier miles, etc.