The historic headquarters of FIFA moved from Zurich in Switzerland to Paris? This would be the objective of Emmanuel Macron’s government. In its finance bill for 2024, the executive rolled out the green carpet to accommodate the headquarters of international sports federations by establishing a very advantageous tax framework. Explanations.
For several years, the Élysée has wanted to see the governing body of world football settle in Paris. According to information from Les Echos, “informal discussions” are taking place between Emmanuel Macron and the boss of Fifa on this subject. Gianni Infantino particularly wants to turn the page on financial scandals, and dreams of a return to his roots in Paris, where the organization was born in 1904 before seeing it leave for Switzerland in 1932.
And to transform the essay, the majority does what is necessary. Always according to the Echoes, the draft budget sent to the Council of State for opinion in September already included a first idea of advantageous taxation for the federations. The government withdrew this passage sent to Parliament, before introducing this Tuesday at the last moment an amendment to the text with this same proposal. An amendment passed in secret? “We rather took it like crazy,” replied a member of the majority
“There is nothing scandalous”
Passed thanks to 49.3, the first part of the budget therefore retained this amendment tabled by the Renaissance presidential group. In detail, the system proposes an exemption from corporate tax, business property tax and business value added contribution, as well as an exemption from income tax for employees of these federations domiciled in France “until the fifth calendar year following that of their first taking office”.
“We completely accept this tax system, it is not exceptional. There is nothing scandalous. I don’t understand the controversy apart from perhaps the fact that Fifa has a sulphurous image,” this same MP confides to us.
But then, is Fifa really being targeted? The government has not confirmed the targeted interest in Fifa, which already has a branch in Paris. The Macronist deputy Belkhir Belhaddad, the first signatory of the Renaissance amendment, affirms “that he was not at the origin and discovered” the device. “As written, I am totally against it. You will never hear me make this type of proposal. I asked that my signature be withdrawn and that we rework the amendment in a new reading.”
When contacted, Bercy was not very forthcoming on the issue. Behind, the subject is rather the Ministry of Sports which oversees the operation. It is emphasized that “this provision aims to extend to international sports federations, in their role of governance and development of sport, a regime already applied in France to international organizations” and that it only concerns “non-commercial activities”.
“This is an important element of attractiveness, a source of potential economic benefits for France, in a context where we are preparing to host more than 30 major international sporting events in the coming years,” adds the Ministry of Sports. . But the reality is much simpler. An internal source at Fifa assures AFP that the “objective” targeted was indeed “Fifa”. It remains to be seen whether this will work.
