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By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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James Fishback, a political newcomer hoping to succeed Ron DeSantis as Florida's next Republican governor, has proposed a 50 percent sin tax for all income derived from OnlyFans.
The platform, which has grown in recent years to the point of taking $701 million in dividends from its subscribers in 2024, is known for its large amount of pornographic content.
"If you are an OnlyFans model and you reside in Florida, get ready to pay 50 percent of your income to the state. It is called a sin tax because it's a sin, No. 1," Fishback said.
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"But the purpose of a sin tax in economics is to disincentivize and deter a behavior," he continued. "And, yes, as Florida governor I don't want young women who could otherwise be mothers raising families, rearing children, I don't want them to be selling their bodies to sick men online."
Newsweek contacted Fishback and OnlyFans for comment by email on Tuesday.
Why It Matters
Under DeSantis, who is term-limited from running in November's election, the Sunshine State placed itself at the center of the country's culture wars. It remains to be seen whether Florida's next governor will embrace the same battles and the same approach. Fishback, the 31-year-old chief executive officer of the investment firm Azoria, is among the many hopefuls vying for the Republican nomination.
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What To Know
Fishback announced his proposal during an interview with the "unapologetically Christian, unapologetically Right Wing" YouTube channel NXR Studios released on Monday.
"As Florida governor, in year one I would push for the first of its kind OnlyFans sin tax. If you are a so-called OnlyFans creator in Florida, you are going to pay 50 percent to the state on whatever you so-called earn via that online degeneracy platform," Fishback said.
The money raised, he continued, would be used to fund the state's education system, crisis pregnancy centers—religious nonprofit organizations that seek to deter people from having abortions—and what he called "the first of its kind mental health czar" for men.
"Men have been told for far too long that they are guilty of masculinity, that they are guilty of all of society's ills," he said.
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A sin tax is not a new concept. Historically, it has been imposed on goods and activities considered to be harmful, such as tobacco, alcohol and gambling.
The tax is meant to generate revenues for local or state governments while discouraging the activities targeted. Though the burden is shouldered by all consumers, a sin tax is typically felt harder by low-income individuals or households.
Fishback said a sin tax on OnlyFans content creators "will raise hundreds of millions of dollars" for the state.
"If we don't raise that income, you know what it'll mean? It'll mean something even greater has materialized for the young women and young men of our state. That the OnlyFans industry and its supporters ... will have been utterly robbed of their ability to rob us—not just of our hard-earned wages but of our commitment to Christ."
Fishback tagged Sophie Rain, a 21-year-old Christian OnlyFans creator in Miami, in a post on X, writing: "Hey @SophieRaiin. Pay up *or* quit OnlyFans. As Florida Governor, I will not allow a generation of smart and capable young women to sell their bodies online."
Newsweek contacted Rain for comment by email on Tuesday.
According to OnlyFans data, about 70 percent of the platform's creators are women, while 30 percent are men. A vast majority of its user base, however, are men.
Fishback's proposal has generated a mix of reactions online, with many being skeptical if not outright disparaging of the idea.
"The government isn't your parent and they shouldn't be legislating morality. If you give the government the power to do this, someone else can just come in and claim something you do is a 'sin' as an excuse to tax it," the Political HQ account wrote on X.
In December, the outlet Florida Politics, citing court filings in the state, reported that Fishback was accused by a former employee of starting a relationship with her when she was 17 and he was 27, and later harassing her. The age of consent in Florida is 18.
The two, according to court filings, moved in together and were engaged by March 2024, after which Fishback allegedly began displaying "controlling behaviors" that "escalated into stalking and cyberbullying."
According to a filing by the woman, Fishback wrote in a since-deleted X post, "I broke off my engagement to an incredible woman for one simple reason: She couldn't be proud of anything I worked on—big or small."
Fishback has disputed the woman's account of their relationship and his alleged harassment. "There was no evidence entered into the record to support that allegation, and I was fully exonerated of any wrongdoing in this case," he told Florida Politics.
What Happens Next
The Republican primary in Florida's gubernatorial race is scheduled for August 18. In a recent survey by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates of the state's Republican primary voters, Byron Donalds—whom President Donald Trump endorsed—emerged as the clear front-runner, with 39 percent of the vote.
Fishback garnered 3 percent—less than Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, who had 26 percent of the vote.
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