Dubai’s tax lure draws UK OnlyFans stars as authorities look the other way

Dubai, an emirate with strict laws that ban pornography, adultery and public displays of affection, has become a surprising hub for OnlyFans creators seeking to reduce their UK tax exposure. The trend, described by insiders as a tacit "don’t ask, don’t tell" environment, has drawn a wave of talent toward the Gulf, where residency incentives and a growing digital economy coexist with one of the region’s most rigid legal regimes.

Elle Brooke, a 27-year-old former law student from Southampton who built a following on TikTok, Instagram and X, has publicly linked her relocation to Dubai with tax savings.

"I came here because of my tax bill," she told reporters at a recent airport encounter. "It has gone from half of everything I earn to almost nothing."

Brooke’s lifestyle posts—luxury holidays, high-end restaurants and a new Bentley with a red ribbon—underline the financial appeal of Dubai’s freer tax regime, at least for creators who can monetize audiences through platforms such as OnlyFans. The UAE’s status as a tax haven is part of what has turned Dubai into a fast-growing center for explicit content production, even as the country maintains strict social codes and criminal penalties for many forms of content.

Jordan Smith, the founder of Rebel, a Manchester-based management company that counts 47 OnlyFans creators among its clients, estimates that roughly a quarter of Britain’s adult stars have relocated to the Gulf in the past two years. He notes that the shift began in earnest after HM Revenue & Customs intensified enforcement in 2023, sending thousands of letters to creators about undeclared earnings. The industry’s move abroad is often framed as a pragmatic response to tax scrutiny as much as a quest for new markets.

To attract digital talent, Dubai has rolled out incentives such as an influencer golden visa that allows long-term residency for those with significant social media followings. The program is part of a broader push by the emirate to position itself as a global hub for content creators and brands, even as it emphasizes its appeal to travelers and investors rather than pornographic producers. Agencies such as Elite OnlyFans Management and Banx Management have established Dubai branches, while the Colorado-based Bunny Agency highlights a section of its site about the “Dubai Advantage.” Their promotional material touts the city’s internet penetration and cosmopolitan environment as fertile ground for monetizing online followings.

Harrison Sullivan, a 23-year-old Briton behind the controversial HSTikkyTokky profile, has touted property purchases in the Emirates and says he moved his family there, saying that the city offers a chance to scale earnings while living in a permissive but regulated setting. Industry chatter often echoes the belief that as long as creators are discreet and stay within local laws, Dubai will tolerate the business of online image-based revenue.

But the Dubai phenomenon is not without risk. Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, warns that influencers can be vulnerable to charges under cybercrime, privacy and defamation laws, and stresses that enforcement in the UAE can be arbitrary and unpredictable. The risk is underscored by high-profile safety concerns in recent years, including cases reported by BBC about young women drawn into high-stakes social events and offered large sums for participation, sometimes under opaque conditions. One Ugandan Instagram personality, Monic Karungi, fell to her death in 2022 amid rumors of a sex-party connection, and a Ukrainian OnlyFans model, Maria Kovalchuk, was found with multiple injuries after disappearing for days following a luxury hotel event. In both cases, investigators faced delays in obtaining or reviewing CCTV footage, fueling questions about accountability and timely law enforcement.

Other practical considerations loom large for those who relocate. Banks in Dubai have historically limited or blocked payments connected to OnlyFans’ parent company, Fenix International, driving creators to use alternative online banking methods such as Paxum or to set up complex, cross-border corporate structures. Some practitioners describe schemes in which UK-based entities receive payments from Fenix and then route funds to a Dubai affiliate to minimize tax exposure, a strategy that requires substantial physical relocation and careful compliance planning.

In the broader context, Dubai’s approach to regulation remains nuanced. Officials have signaled a willingness to welcome digital-era creators while maintaining heavy restrictions on explicit content in public spaces and online. The situation highlights how tax policy, immigration rules and the economics of online publishing intersect in one of the world’s most dynamic and debated cities. As markets evolve, the flow of creators into and out of Dubai could continue to reshape both the tax landscape and the global business of online adult content.