Agreed, it sounds insane but I much prefer US system. It is easy to say "simpler == better". I'd much prefer the gov not do things for me and leave the control over my taxes by default. I understand people in other countries can do the same, but the default is big gov giving you a number upfront.
This haggling, suspicious, negative, even hostile mindset towards your own government is a big reason why the US is so generally fucked up. "Negotiation process"?!? That's how shirkers and tax criminals think about it.
Think about taxes as a negotiation process.