FIFA could lose their tax-exempt status in the United States after a complaint was filed calling for an investigation into claims that someone on their payroll worked privately as Gianni Infantino’s housekeeper in Miami. World football’s governing body insist their president personally pays for any domestic staff and have accused critics of trying to undermine him.
A complaint has been filed to the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) calling for an investigation into claims that an individual on the FIFA payroll was working privately as a housekeeper for Infantino. If the IRS investigate and find the claims proven, FIFA could lose their tax-exempt status in the country.
Advertisement
The complaint, which has been seen by The Guardian and is supported by a number of documents, claims an individual “performed domestic work exclusively for FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his wife, Leena Infantino, at their Miami residence, while receiving compensation or benefits through a FIFA-affiliated entity”.
FIFA hold 501(c)(4) status in the US, a category for organisations “created to promote community welfare for charitable, educational or recreational purposes”. The complaint, submitted by Washington DC immigration lawyer Abed Ayoub, argues that “senior leadership, acting in their official capacity and on behalf of FIFA, have abused the entity’s tax-exemption status”.
It adds: “If organisational funds or resources were used to pay for services benefiting a leader’s household, the arrangement raises serious questions about private benefit, financial reporting, compensation, and governance. The materials also raise questions about the accuracy of representations in employment, payroll, tax, and immigration records. We ask the agencies to investigate the underlying records and determine what occurred.”
Advertisement
FIFA have rejected the claims. A spokesperson said: “Matters related to the FIFA president’s personal and home life are private; however, for the avoidance of any doubt, the costs of any domestic staff are met by the FIFA president personally.”
The governing body also hit out at the coverage, adding: “We urge the media to act responsibly. As FIFA stated in August, it is evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its president. FIFA welcomes legitimate scrutiny. But scrutiny is not a licence to amplify false allegations. Where reporting is inaccurate or misleading FIFA will continue to challenge it directly and vigorously.”
If the IRS take up the complaint, the process would probably take months, and the results of such investigations are rarely published, though any action taken would be made public.
Advertisement
Pressure is also building in Washington after the Democrats’ midterm gains, with a spokesperson for representative Jamie Raskin saying the House judiciary committee are “looking closely at those developments”.
