KYIV — Content creators in Ukraine owe the equivalent of $9.3 million in back taxes, according to the country's State Tax Service.
As first reported on the Ukrainian news site Economic Truth, the tax debt stems from income earned in Ukraine from content posted on OnlyFans over a three-year period.
"The total amount of tax debt that arose for individual residents of Ukraine is due to nonpayment of taxes on income received from Fenix International Ltd. (the company that owns the OnlyFans platform) during 2020-2022 is UAH 384.7 million," the report reads.
The Economic Truth report adds, "The OnlyFans platform is used primarily for posting and monetizing pornographic content, the production and distribution of which is considered a criminal offense in Ukraine. According to Article 301 of the Criminal Code, liability for such activity can reach up to seven years in prison."
In July, XBIZ reported on efforts to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine, after President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to a petition by OnlyFans users to support draft law No. 12191, titled "On Amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine to Improve Certain Provisions on Criminal Offenses Against Public Order and Morality."
In his statement, Zelensky did not reveal his position on the issue. Instead, he pointed out that the Verkhovna Rada — Ukraine’s parliament — was considering the bill, and that his role as president will only come into play should the Verkhovna Rada adopt the law.