IRS complaint seeks inquiry into FIFA-linked payments for Infantino housekeeper

A complaint submitted to the United States Internal Revenue Service has requested an investigation into allegations that a person working as a housekeeper for FIFA president Gianni Infantino received compensation through an entity linked to football's world governing body. The Guardian reported that it had seen the complaint and supporting documents. FIFA said Infantino personally meets the costs of any domestic staff.

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The complaint alleges that the individual carried out domestic work solely for Infantino and his wife, Leena, at their Miami residence, while receiving pay or benefits through a FIFA-affiliated organisation. It asks investigators to examine whether organisational resources were used for the private benefit of the president's household. Those assertions remain allegations in a complaint, not findings by the IRS or an announcement that an investigation has begun.

According to The Guardian, FIFA holds tax-exempt status in the United States under section 501(c)(4). The newspaper reported that the organisation could lose that status if the IRS investigated and substantiated the claims. The complaint also raises questions about financial reporting and governance, and asks authorities to check employment, payroll, tax and immigration records to establish what happened. The Guardian said it had approached the IRS for comment.

FIFA's response disputed the premise that it bears the household costs. A spokesperson told the newspaper that matters concerning Infantino's private and home life are personal, while stating that he pays for domestic employees himself. In a further response, FIFA said it welcomed legitimate scrutiny but characterised the allegations as part of an ongoing effort to undermine the organisation and its president. It said it would challenge inaccurate or misleading reporting.

The complaint was submitted by Washington-based immigration lawyer Abed Ayoub, The Guardian reported. Ayoub has served as national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. A spokesperson for Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House judiciary committee, said the committee had not requested documents about the housekeeper but was following the developments closely.

Whether the IRS will take up the complaint remains unresolved in the report. The Guardian noted that any inquiry would probably take months, and that investigation results are commonly not published, although resulting action would become public. For now, the documented development is the filing of a request for scrutiny, alongside FIFA's denial that organisational funds cover Infantino's domestic staff.