Two arrested in tax fraud investigation at football club

The Tax Authorities' investigative service FIOD arrested two people on Thursday on suspicion of tax fraud at a football club in the league. The Public Prosecutor believes they paid a number of amateur footballers' salary's under the table and in cash, in this way lowering their payroll tax and benefits contributions. The suspects are a board member of the football club and the president of a foundation that makes payments to players on behalf of the club. According to the Public Prosecutor, a number of the club's players received their salaries or part of their salaries under the table and in cash since 2011. Making payments in this way means that it is harder to trace. This means the club could pay less on payroll taxes and benefits contributions, and the players involved paid a lower amount in income tax. The Prosecutor believes that this construction cost the national treasury hundreds of thousands of euros. The police and FIOD raided the canteen of the football club and two homes, presumably the homes of the two suspects. Administration, computers and expensive watches were seized. The police also found and seized a substance they believe is narcotics. The Public Prosecutor did not specify which football club is involved, only that the club only recently joined the league and that it is a club in a municipality north of Amsterdam.