BBC reported the information.

“Most likely, we will plan to move to another country,” Snizhana (name changed for safety reasons – ed.) told BBC Ukraine. “I’m just waiting for my child’s school year to end,” said one of the OnlyFans models.

In October 2024, one Ukrainian model paid over 10 million hryvnias in taxes on earnings from 2020 to 2022 from working on the adult platform OnlyFans.

The call to voluntarily pay taxes on online work was made in September 2024 by Danylo Hetmantsev, head of the parliamentary committee on finance, taxation, and customs policy. Following this, models reported receiving letters from the tax authorities demanding they declare their income.

Many, including Snizhana, decided to heed the call. She explained that the tax office did not ask any questions about the origin of the funds – she simply indicated the country of source of income: The United Kingdom and Ireland, where OnlyFans is registered.

However, after paying the taxes, Snizhana was visited by employees of the Bureau of Economic Security for a search. Similar actions were taken at the home of her colleague Karina, who also paid taxes for several years of work on the platform.

Snizhana has been working for OnlyFans since 2020. She claims that she did not evade taxes for selfish reasons, but because of legal uncertainty: certain images she publishes can be recognized as pornographic, which is grounds for criminal prosecution in Ukraine.

Although working on the platform itself is not a crime, and content on OnlyFans can range from fitness videos to cooking recipes, posting intimate photos could be seen as violating Article 301 of the Criminal Code, which covers the production and distribution of pornography. This article provides punishment ranging from a fine of 1,700 UAH to up to seven years in prison.

Moreover, in Ukraine, even private explicit photos on a smartphone could theoretically fall under the definition of pornography.

In November 2024, a bill was registered in the Verkhovna Rada regarding the decriminalization of pornography. The explanatory note states that private intimate images and videos do not pose a threat to society, as recognized by most countries worldwide. However, the document has not yet been reviewed.

Along with her colleagues, Snizhana and Karina hope that the decriminalization law will be passed, and criminal cases under Article 301 will be closed.

“I am willing to continue paying taxes, but I don’t want to go to prison,” said Snizhana in an interview with BBC Ukraine.

  • Ukrainian MP Danylo Hetmantsev stated that 350 OnlyFans models declared 305.4 million UAH in income, paying 59 million UAH in personal income tax and military levy.

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