IRS urged to investigate Infantino housekeeper claims
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.
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”.
Complaint claims FIFA abused tax-exempt status
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.”
FIFA insist Infantino pays domestic staff himself
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.”
What comes next for FIFA and Infantino
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.
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”.
Working as a football journalist was my first childhood dream. I became a journalist and a member of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, but covering topics far from the world of sports until the opportunity came in early 2020 when I joined Kooora, and then GOAL.
My memories with football began with Zinedine Zidane’s historic triumph in the 1998 World Cup and France’s unforgettable win over Brazil in the final, along with the Egyptian league matches and the rivalry between Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Ismaily during that era.
I don’t support a specific team in Europe, but I enjoyed watching Milan with “Maldini, Gattuso, Kaka, Pirlo” and was amazed by Barcelona with “Busquets, Iniesta, Xavi, Neymar, Villa, Messi, Suarez”, before following Mohamed Salah in his exceptional career with Fiorentina, Roma, and Liverpool.
My unforgettable sports moment was Mohamed Aboutrika’s goal in Al Ahly’s victory over Sfaxien in the 2006 CAF Champions League final.
My ideal lineup: Buffon; Cafu – Van Dijk – Maldini – Roberto Carlos; Pirlo – Zidane – Iniesta – Kaka; Cristiano Ronaldo – Messi