Ukraine eyes tax windfall from legalized online adult industry to fund war

Ukraine is weighing a bill to legalize and tax the largely informal online adult industry, potentially generating up to $25 million a year to help bankroll wartime spending (defense needs run around $120 billion annually). The proposal would bring activities like OnlyFans into the tax system, expanding the tax base, reducing corruption, and directing revenue to military procurement. Critics warn that pornography remains illegal in Ukraine and income from it could risk criminal exposure, while some creators operate abroad, limiting tax collection. A Ukrainian creator reportedly paid about 40 million hryvnias (roughly $900,000) in taxes, illustrating how even modest revenue could fund thousands of drones or other military needs.