How to Register as Self-Employed for OnlyFans in the UK

If you’re earning money from OnlyFans in the UK, you’re running a business, and once you earn more than £1,000 in a tax year you need to register as self-employed with HMRC. It sounds more complicated than it is. You register online, it costs nothing, and once it’s done you’re set up for your first tax return.

The steps below take you through the whole process.

Important note: this article is general information and isn’t financial advice. If you’re unsure about anything to do with your tax, speak to a qualified accountant.

Do you actually need to register?

Yes, with one exception. If your total trading income (across all your self-employment, OnlyFans included) is £1,000 or less in a tax year, the trading allowance covers it and you don’t need to register or report it.

Once your earnings go above £1,000 in a tax year, you’re legally required to register as self-employed and file a Self Assessment tax return. That applies whether OnlyFans is your full-time job or a side project alongside a regular job.

It doesn’t matter that OnlyFans has already taken its 20% platform fee, either. Your 80% share is still taxable income, and HMRC expects you to report it.

When is the deadline?

You must register with HMRC by 5 October in your second tax year of trading.

For example, if you started earning in the 2025/26 tax year (which runs from 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026), you’d need to register by 5 October 2026.

There’s no benefit in waiting, though. Register early and you get your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) sooner, and you need that to file your tax return. Registering late can lead to penalties. So register as soon as your earnings go over the £1,000 threshold.

What you need before you start

Before you start registering, have these ready:

• Your National Insurance number. It’s on your payslip if you’re employed, or on any letter from HMRC or DWP. If you don’t know it, you can ask HMRC for it.
• Your personal details: full name, date of birth, address, phone number and email address.
• Your business start date. This is the date you first started earning from OnlyFans, or the date you plan to start. It doesn’t have to be exact, but it should be reasonable.
• A description of your business. There’s more on this below.

Step-by-step registration

Step 1: Create a Government Gateway account

If you haven’t got one already, go to the HMRC website and create a Government Gateway account. You’ll use this login for all your tax dealings, including filing your Self Assessment every year.

You’ll need to verify your identity, which usually means answering security questions or using the HMRC app. Keep your Government Gateway user ID and password somewhere safe, because you’ll need them every year.

Step 2: Register for Self Assessment

Once you’ve logged in, go to the “Register for Self Assessment” section and choose the option for self-employment. If you’re employed as well as self-employed, pick the option that says you’re both.

Step 3: Fill in your details

The form asks for your personal information, your business start date and a description of your business.

For the description, a few options suit content creators:

• “Content creator” or “Digital content creator”
• “Online entertainment services”
• “Freelance media production”

You don’t need to mention OnlyFans by name. The description should broadly reflect what you do. HMRC wants to understand the type of work, and the name of the platform doesn’t matter to it.

You may also be asked for a SIC code (Standard Industrial Classification), which describes the type of business. Codes that can fit creator work include:

• 59112: Video production activities
• 90030: Artistic creation
• 74201: Portrait photographic activities
• 63990: Other information service activities

Pick the one that’s closest to your work. If you’re unsure, an accountant can advise you.

Step 4: Submit and wait for your UTR

After you submit your registration, HMRC processes it and sends you a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR). It’s a 10-digit number that identifies you as a taxpayer. It usually arrives by post within 10 working days, though it can sometimes take longer. HMRC has an online tool that tells you when you can expect a reply.

Hold on to your UTR. You need it to file your Self Assessment tax return, and an accountant will ask for it if you hire one.

What happens after registration

Once you’re registered, your main job each year is to file a Self Assessment tax return and pay any tax you owe. The key dates are:

• Tax year end: 5 April each year.
• Online filing deadline: 31 January after the end of the tax year.
• Payment deadline: also 31 January.

So for the 2025/26 tax year (6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026), you’d file and pay by 31 January 2027.

You’ll also need to keep records of all your income and expenses. Use our tax calculator to estimate what you might owe, and our earnings calculator to try out different income scenarios.

Income Tax and National Insurance

Once you’re registered, you’ll be liable for:

• Income Tax on your profits (income minus allowable expenses). The Personal Allowance for 2025/26 is £12,570. Above that, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you pay 20% up to £50,270, 40% up to £125,140 and 45% above that. Scotland has its own Income Tax bands.
• Class 2 National Insurance, which is no longer compulsory. With profits of £6,845 or more (2025/26), you get the credit automatically. Below that, you can pay £3.50 a week voluntarily to protect your State Pension record.
• Class 4 National Insurance at 6% on profits between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% above £50,270.

All of this is worked out and paid through your Self Assessment return.

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting too long to register. The longer you leave it, the more likely you are to face penalties, and the more stressful it gets to catch up. Register early.

Not keeping records. Track your income and expenses from day one. Download your OnlyFans earnings statements every month and keep receipts for every business purchase. You’ll be glad you did at tax time.

Forgetting about payments on account. If your tax bill is more than £1,000, HMRC will ask you to make advance payments towards next year’s bill. This catches a lot of first-time filers out, because in that first January you effectively pay 150% of your first year’s bill (your full bill plus half of next year’s estimated bill).

Not separating business and personal finances. Open a separate bank account for your creator income. It makes tracking expenses, working out profits and dealing with HMRC much simpler.

Thinking you don’t earn enough to bother. If you’re over the £1,000 trading allowance, you need to register. HMRC can see payments from platforms, and it’s much better to be registered and up to date than to be contacted about income you haven’t declared.

The trading allowance explained

The £1,000 trading allowance is a tax-free allowance for small or occasional self-employment income. If your total gross trading income is £1,000 or less in a tax year, you don’t need to register as self-employed or declare the income.

If your income is over £1,000, you can deduct the £1,000 trading allowance instead of your actual expenses. It’s simpler, but if your real expenses come to more than £1,000, claiming them will save you more tax.

So however much you earn, compare the two each year and use whichever gives you the bigger deduction. Either way, keep track of your expenses and file your Self Assessment on time.

Getting set up properly

Registering with HMRC is only the first step. To make life easier from here:

• Open a separate business bank account.
• Use accounting software or a simple spreadsheet to track income and expenses.
• Set aside 25% to 30% of your earnings each month for tax, as a rough guide.
• Think about finding an accountant who understands how creators earn.
• Download your OnlyFans earnings statements regularly.

Use our tax calculator to estimate your tax position, and look through our creator kit for more resources.

If you’d rather focus on creating while someone else handles the strategy and growth side, find out how we work or apply to work with us. The team works in your account through Infloww, a creator CRM, where it can see stats, make posts and send messages. It can’t reach your bank details, payout information, email or social media accounts. The account stays in your name, payouts go to your own bank, and you can end our access at any time by changing your password. We invoice for the agreed split after you’ve been paid. It’s month to month with no lock-in and no exit fees, and either side gives 14 days’ notice.

This article is general information only and isn’t financial advice. Tax rules and rates can change. Always speak to a qualified accountant about your own circumstances.