My Mate Says I Can Avoid Tax If I Spend 6 Months Abroad… Is That Actually True?
Thinking about spending part of the year abroad and wondering whether that means you can avoid UK tax on your OnlyFans income? It's a common piece of advice you'll hear from friends — but UK tax residence isn't as simple as counting how many days you've spent in the sun. Here's what UK-based creators need to know before assuming their tax bill disappears when they leave the country.
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Going Abroad Doesn't Automatically Make Your OnlyFans Income Tax-Free
“Apparently, if you spend six months abroad, you don't have to pay UK tax anymore.”
We've all heard something along those lines. Usually from a mate. Usually delivered with absolute confidence. And usually followed by something like: “My cousin's friend does it.” 😂
For OnlyFans creators, it's an especially tempting idea.
You’re earning money online, you can potentially work from almost anywhere, and perhaps you're already thinking about spending a few months somewhere warmer while continuing to create content. For a lot of people this is the ultimate 'living the dream' lifestyle. So naturally, the question comes up: “If I spend enough time abroad, can I avoid paying UK tax on my OnlyFans income?”
Unfortunately, UK tax residence isn't as simple as “six months abroad = no tax.” There isn't a magic switch that turns off your UK tax obligations the moment you get on a plane. ✈️ Your tax position can depend on a number of factors, including how many days you spend in the UK, your connections to the UK, where you live and work, and the circumstances surrounding your move overseas.
And this is where things can get confusing. You might spend several months abroad but still have significant connections with the UK. You might have your home here. You might return regularly. You might have family here. You might continue running your business from the UK. Or you might genuinely be moving abroad and changing your circumstances substantially.
Those situations can produce very different tax outcomes. There is also an important difference between going abroad for a few months and actually becoming non-UK resident for tax purposes. That distinction matters.
Imagine you're a UK-based OnlyFans creator. You spend January to May in Spain, come back to the UK for the summer, spend another few weeks abroad later in the year and continue running your creator business throughout. You can't simply look at the number of days you've spent overseas and conclude: “Great. I don't owe UK tax.” It isn't that straightforward.
And there's another misconception worth clearing up. Even if you genuinely become non-UK resident, that doesn't necessarily mean all of your UK tax obligations disappear. The tax treatment of income, assets and activities can depend on what you're earning, where it arises and the rules applicable to your circumstances. For creators, this can become particularly important because your income might not look like a traditional salary.
You could have OnlyFans income, sponsorships, affiliate income, TikTok or other social media income, paid collaborations, digital products or other creator earnings. Then there are business expenses, your trading structure, VAT considerations and the question of where you're actually carrying out your business activities. Suddenly, “I'm going abroad for six months” doesn't look quite as simple as it sounded down the pub. 🍻
That's not to say you can't move abroad. You absolutely can. And there are plenty of UK creators who live and work internationally. The point is that you shouldn't make a major decision about where you live based on something your mate told you about tax. Before packing your suitcase, cancelling your UK plans and assuming your OnlyFans income is now tax-free, it's worth understanding your actual position.
At OnlyTax, we specialise in helping OnlyFans creators and other online creators understand the tax side of what they do. That includes creators who are just getting started, those earning significant income online and those considering bigger changes such as becoming a limited company or moving overseas. Because when your business is online, where you work and where you live can raise some surprisingly complicated tax questions.
So, if your tax strategy currently begins with:
“My mate reckons…” 😂
…it might be time for a second opinion.
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