The problem is that many of those ways are not quite legal - but are not illegal, either.
For example, let's say you create a 501c3 private foundation, intended to run a museum. The museum is in a building you purchase. You have a few things on exhibit, all relatively cheap art that you like. You also have a back room with an entertainment space where you hold parties for donors, who are all your friends, and who rarely donate. Big TV, an open bar, stripper poles. The money in this foundation pays for the purchase of the property, utilities, for catering supplies for your parties, and for travel expenses that allow to fly first class all over the world to buy art you like. You contribute your ordinary pay check to this foundation, and thus deduct all your income.
That is all technically legal. It is also a way to party and travel all over the world tax free. You can't get away with this, of course, unless you have those clever accountants you mention. But if you are making $500K a year, the $185,000 you save on taxes pays for a lot of creative accounting.