What is the ruling concerning the money I received in previous years, and is it permissible for me to continue working until another job becomes available, given my difficult financial circumstances?

Not all taxes are forbidden; rather, some are permissible if the state imposes them to provide essential services to citizens, under specific conditions. The ruling on working in tax collection depends on the type of tax; if it is permissible, then there is no harm in working with it. However, if it is forbidden and the worker cannot find another permissible job to cover their expenses, then it is permissible for them to remain in it temporarily while striving to find an alternative. What was earned from a previously forbidden work, without knowledge of its prohibition, is permissible to benefit from, as Ibn Uthaymeen stated, based on the verse: "So whoever receives an admonition from his Lord and desists, he may have what has already passed, and his affair is left to Allah." It is preferable to ask scholars knowledgeable about taxes in the country concerned.