A Suffolk accountancy business at the centre of a tax refund row with its former clients has "a lot to answer for", an MP has said.
Dr Dan Poulter, MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, has hit out at Stowmarket's Apostle Accounting over the issue, which has left people owing thousands to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
Apostle was recently wound up, according to a notice in the London Gazette, and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing over the matter.
But Dr Poulter believes the firm's directors, including founder Zoe Goodchild, may face being barred from running other companies.
Apostle was hit with a deluge of complaints earlier this year after its ex-clients revealed they had been told to pay back the tax refunds they claimed from HMRC through the firm.
The clients told this newspaper that Apostle had claimed back work-related expenses from HMRC, but never provided them with an itemised breakdown on what was being claimed for on their behalf.
Some were left facing repaying the taxman sums in the tens of thousands of pounds, several years after they first received the money back.
Apostle, which was founded by Mrs Goodchild in 2012, denied it was responsible for HMRC pursuing the money, saying the tax authority incorrectly applied its own guidance.
The matter is being looked into by specialist officers from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit.
Dr Poulter has previously backed the former clients over the matter, saying they had been "caught up in this affair through no fault of their own".
He was one of a number of MPs to meet with HMRC officials in May, after which it emerged the clients would not be prosecuted by the tax authority or have fines imposed on them.
The saga featured on an issue of BBC One's Rip Off Britain earlier this month, which spoke to a number of former Apostle clients.
Dr Poulter said: “I am disappointed but not surprised that Apostle Accounting has gone into liquidation. As a company, they have a lot to answer for.
"We still await the outcome of police investigations and should there be evidence of criminal wrong doing by the directors of Apostle, then it may still be possible for its former customers to pursue the directors as individuals for financial recompense."
In his statement, Dr Poulter also said he believes there could be a "strong case" for the liquidator to explore preventing the directors of Apostle from holding other directorships if any wrongdoing is proven.
Dr Poulter added: "I shall shortly be meeting again with local residents who have been affected to help plan and support them with next steps."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here