Content creators on popular adult subscription site OnlyFans can claim tax relief on breast-enhancement surgeries they say are a business expense, it has been revealed.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) allows self-employed “performers or entertainers” to claim concessions for cosmetic surgeries – should they be able to show that it was needed solely for professional purposes.
An unnamed OnlyFans content creator became the first known case of this, after they convinced the HMRC that a breast enhancement was a legitimate business expense, as revealed by the Mail on Sunday.
The average cost for breast enhancement surgery is between £3,500 and £8,000 according to the NHS.
Former Love Island contestant Megan Barton-Hanson is one of the most lucrative UK content creators on the OnlyFans platform, cashing in £1.5 million in the past two years. Her agent could not confirm whether Barton-Hanson had benefitted from the concession.
Other high earners on the site include former pop star Kerry Katona, reality TV star Lauren Goodger and X Factor contestant Chloe Khan, who have had several breast operations, though none of them have taken advantage of the concession.
The tax break was first reported in 2003 following a case where an anonymous radio broadcaster who moved into TV successfully argued he needed his teeth straightened to land a new role. Rule changes meant facelifts, breast implants, Botox injections and teeth-whitening could be claimed.
Accountant Rachel Harris, whose OnlyFans client claimed the boob job for tax concessions last year, said that HMRC guidance was out of date in the age of social media, with an estimated 100,000 influencers working in Britain.
“These rules were made when people didn’t create the kind of content they do now. We need more guidance from HMRC,” Mrs Harris told the Mail on Sunday. Mrs Harris has made a “tax guide for influencers” and said she has a “niche sector of clients” who work for OnlyFans.
An HMRC spokesman said: “It’s very unlikely that a non-health-related operation would be an allowable expense.”
Tory MP Alexander Stafford, who sits on the Business Committee, told the Mail on Sunday: “I feel sure most taxpayers won’t be happy to learn that tax allowances are being used in this way.
“Therefore, I think it is entirely right to review this loophole relating to cosmetic procedures and, preferably, close it as soon as possible.”
