A rumour online claims that President Trump has stripped the NFL of their non-profit status, meaning the NFL would have to pay higher taxes, amid controversial protests by many NFL players.
The rumour links back to the website FreedumJunkshun.com and reads in part –
The federal government grants some businesses the ability to pay reduced or no taxes because they are set up as a “non-profit.” The NFL is one of those businesses – or was, until Sunday evening when Donald Trump quietly signed an executive order removing the sports league’s non-profit status.
The order notes the un-American attitude displayed by the players, who repeatedly kneel during the National Anthem, burn flags in their locker rooms, and disrespect our country in every way imaginable.
To date, little has been done to stop players from disrespecting our military, our flag, and all they stand for, so President Trump “temporarily” revoked their 401(c)(3) status “until it is clear that players and team owners respect their country.”
The rumours are false. The website that originally published the article – FreedumJunkshun.com – is a fake news website with a disclaimer at the bottom of each article in the footer of the site claiming the content is “boatload of bullhonkey, works of pure satirical fiction”.
Additionally, the NFL is not a tax-exempt non-profit organisation to begin with. The NFL office voluntarily gave up that status back in 2015, a move that garnered plenty of mainstream media attention.
As such, the rumours are entirely fake and should not be circulated as genuine.