Benefits and tax cost of living
Owing tax can be stressful
If you owe tax, this is due by 31 January and 31 July.
If you've not set money aside, the 31 January payment can be a shock - especially at the beginning. That's because you need to pay the tax for your first year of trading plus half that tax amount for the following year (it's called a payment on account).
The second payment on account is due on 31 July (and any final tax adjustment for the year - whether tax due or a credit - is taken account on the next payment by the following 31 January).
It can all be stressful.
Help is out there
See What other help is out there to help me pay my tax? (untied article)
The excellent Low Income Tax Reform Group (LITRG - an initiative of the Chartered Institute of Taxation) has written some articles on the relationship between benefits and owing tax.
Claiming benefits if you're behind on your taxes (you may also want to see the untied and Universal Credit)
You can also get help from TaxAid and Tax Help for Older People which are two charities that help people when they can't sort tax things in other ways.