German FA offices searched as part of investigation into suspected tax evasion

German prosecutors and tax authorities have searched the German Football Association’s (DFB) offices on suspicion of tax evasion.

The homes of six current and former DFB officials have also been searched as part of an investigation into alleged intentional declared income falsification.

It relates to advertising revenue from the German national team’s games in 2014 and 2015 being declared as from asset management, prosecutors say.

The DFB does not pay taxes for any income from asset management but is obliged to do so for earnings from any commercial activities.

Prosecutors say this false declaration has led to €4.7million in unpaid taxes.

Around 200 officials took part in searches across several locations in Hesse, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Rhineland-Palatinate.

“Based on the investigation until now there is the suspicion that those accused knew of the tax incorrectness but consciously chose to give the DFB a major tax advantage,” chief public prosecutor Nadja Niesen said in a statement released to German news agency DPA.

The six people and their positions in the organisation were not made public.