> They most probably still pay much more tax than average person - just not as much as they could be paying if they didn't use these ways.
It's about relative value vs absolute value. If you use 30% of your wages toward taxes but the next person use 12% of his to pay the same absolute amount, there is an issue that needs to be addressed.
In my experience, 30% would be extremely high and not at all common - if you look at full rate and not marginal rate. E.g. I am not 1%, but relatively well-paid employee, and my full federal tax rate has been around 13-15% (marginal, of course, quite higher). If I went to some lengths, I probably could shave off a percent or so off it, but that would require me to stash some money into places where they are not readily accessible, such as IRA or alike instruments. This is just not worth it for me. If I got much more money, to the point that I do not need any of the money for consumption and in fact can not consume them - e.g. if I were a billionaire - I would certainly use these and many other instruments, it would be stupid not to do so. But right now it is just not worth the trouble.
It's about relative value vs absolute value. If you use 30% of your wages toward taxes but the next person use 12% of his to pay the same absolute amount, there is an issue that needs to be addressed.