What is Fanum tax? Viral TikTok trend explained as term takes over social media 

Fanum Tax is the latest trend to take social media by storm. Twitch and YouTube streamer Fanum, whose real name is Roberto Gonzalez, captured the internet’s attention after “taxing” fellow content creator Kai Cenat. Since then, several netizens have flooded the internet with hilarious reactions to the same. A song has also been made regarding the latest online craze.

For those unversed, Fanum is a famous YouTuber who is best known for his Fanum Live channel. He has amassed nearly two million subscribers on the platform. He often posts hysterical gaming streams, which mostly includes GTA, Assassin Creed Mirage, and Roblox amongst others.

Recently, the streamer posted a video alongside Kai Cenat, titled The Kai Cenat Tax… It seems like the 10-minute-long clip left netizens wondering what the tax was. Based on research done on Google and X (formerly known as Twitter) trends, the term has been endlessly used on the internet.

The Fanum Tax is a “food tax,” which can be strange for Gen-Z audiences or those who have never heard of it before. It is based on an old joke where an elder brother or dad "taxes" their child’s or younger sibling’s meals, by taking a portion of it.

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Fanum Tax origin explained

Prior to the phrase become a catchy internet term, it first appeared online during a Kai Cenat stream. On December 23 2022, YouTuber KC3FEETT posted a video of Gonzalez kicking down Cenat’s door to steal cookies from him. This was the first time the phrase surfaced online.

The video was quick to go viral and amassed over a million views across social media platforms.

Clips of streamers initiating the food tax then went viral on TikTok. On June 24, Cenat uploaded a video of the numerous times Gonzalez initiated the tax. The video has since amassed over three million views.

Know Your Meme described the phenomenon as:

“A “Fanum tax” is a different way to say “food tax.” A “food tax” is when one person takes a “tax” from their friend’s food or meal, as in, they take a bite from their friend’s food. Depending on how hungry or mean that friend is, the “tax,” they take could either be small or large. For instance, taking once French fry versus 10 french fries.”

As the trend has gone viral online, TikToker @papaboy020 created a parody song on Roblox, titled Sticking out your Gyat for the Rizzler. The track was quick to gain traction for the mention of the food tax. Lyrics included:

“Sticking out your gyatt/ For the rizzler/ You’re so skibidi/ You’re so fanum tax/ I just wanna be your sigma/ Freaking come here.”

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The YouTube food tax has taken social media by storm

Internet users have flooded X by mentioning the phrase numerous times. Netizens could not help but sing the lyrics of the viral song as well. A few tweets read:

Netizens take part in the food tax trend (Image via X)

Netizens take part in the food tax trend (Image via X)

This is not the first time “food tax” has been used online. Last year, Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal revealed during a Shaq Life: Passing the Torch episode that he sometimes demands a portion of his children’s meals while they’re eating. He was seen saying in the show:

“What’d you get? Come in here, tax bite. I appreciate you. No, tax bite.”

While explaining his actions, he quipped that as the “king of the family,” he deserves a portion of his children’s food.