Hey, creative mind — if you’re making serious money on OnlyFans or F2F Friends2Follow, there are a few formal things to sort out. Sounds annoying, I know, but it’s usually not as bad as it seems!
Are you self-employed? Then head to the Gewerbeamt!
Whether you’re cashing in on hot fitness tips or the latest fashion hacks — if you earn money from it, you’re typically considered self-employed. And in most cases that means: get a Gewerbeschein! Why? Because the Finanzamt needs to see that you seriously intend to earn income (yes, even if you also sell merch on the side).
Tax stuff — less spooky than you think
Pop into the Finanzamt and pick up the “Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung”. There you enter what you do and how much you expect to earn. That helps the Finanzamt assess you correctly and set your taxes.
Artist or coach? You might be freelance!
If you operate on OnlyFans or F2F in an artistic way or as a coach, you might qualify as Freiberufler. That would be a real win, because then you can avoid Gewerbesteuer and often use simpler bookkeeping for your tax return. But beware: not everyone is automatically recognized as Freiberufler. Check the official job descriptions in the Einkommensteuergesetz and look for rulings from the Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof) that could help.
OnlyFans and taxes
Do you earn more than 24.500 Euro per year? Then say “hello” to Gewerbesteuer. Everything below that? No problem — you’re exempt. VAT becomes relevant from an annual turnover of 22.000 Euro. But: if you earned less than 22.000 Euro in the previous year and don’t exceed 50.000 Euro this year, the Kleinunternehmer-Regelung may apply, which can exempt you from Gewerbe and VAT.
Important note about F2F and OnlyFans
A recent ruling by the European Court of Justice has decided: F2F and OnlyFans creators do not have to remit VAT. Previously OnlyFans had to handle that for you, but that’s history. Now the platform provider is responsible. If you paid too much in the past, you can reclaim it. My tip: consult your Finanzamt and make sure everything is clear.
So, get it done! A bit of paperwork here and there, and then you can fully focus on your creative career. Good luck!
