Squeaky,
Here's some tough love for you . . .
There's nothing more certain in life than death and taxes, so don't complain you didn't know you would have to pay.
You know how much you make each week and so you should have put enough away into a high-interest account and MADE money on the back of the taxman before you had to hand it over.
Because there's now a black mark on your file at the tax office, and you're in a cash business, there's a better chance of you getting an investigation sooner rather than later. I don't think accountants fees for representing you at investigations ARE tax-deductable, and they sting!, but maybe someone else can confirm.
If what you quoted is the real amount you should be paying, the taxman won't believe that you're making less in self-employment than you would in a dead-end job.
If you can't afford to pay your tax bill, how are you putting anything away for your future?
All this slagging off wfp . . . you just can't afford it. Get a bank loan, or buy a system on a plastic card and pay it back over a year or so.
And now, the toughest bit - frankly, you'd be better off working for someone else.
Don't shoot the messenger.