Apostle Accounting: owner lambasts 'media witch hunt'

The former owner of a company at the centre of a tax rebate scandal which left hundreds of people facing large bills has accused journalists of "sensationalism".

Zoe Goodchild, the former owner of Suffolk based Apostle Accounting, made the comments in a new podcast.

She also said some previous clients were "hell bent on trying to ruin me".

Ms Goodchild has turned down repeated interview requests from the BBC.

In a new podcast entitled "Breaking Through Adversity", Ms Goodchild described the challenges she had faced during the past year.

"My personal and professional challenges encompassed false allegations, harassment from some previous clients who were, and still are, hellbent on trying to ruin me reputationally and mentally," she said.

The businesswoman added disgruntled clients had "managed to get journalists involved who, as we all know, typically prefer to sensationalise stories that sell rather than [report] any actual facts despite the evidence presented to them.

"They preferred to continue what I can only liken to a witch hunt. Now, at the same time within my business that this was happening, I was actually suffering from a marriage breakdown and subsequent separation and I had to navigate my way into single parenthood of four children," she said.

Hundreds of people across the country have been left owing significant sums of money to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) after trusting their tax claims with Ms Goodchild's previous company, Apostle Accounting.

Apostle, which was based in Stowmarket, promised to help people claim tax relief for work expenses who then sent off their claims, and thousands of pounds in rebates were paid out.

But hundreds of clients were then written to by HMRC who said they were not entitled to the money as it sought repayment.

A police inquiry into the firm is now under way.

Lee Osborne, a former Apostle client from Sawtry in Cambridgeshire who owes HMRC £19,000, has compiled a list of people who said they were now facing demands.

About 800 people had come forward to him who said they now owe HMRC a combined total of £3.3m.

Mr Osborne said the affair had "left countless lives shattered and the people who trusted someone to do things on their behalf are suffering.

"To have to see the same person try and distance themselves from what's happening as well and flaunt themselves on social media just causes more grief and frustration, it's unbelievable," he added.

Apostle Accounting went into liquidation in October 2023 and Ms Goodchild has set up a new company called Innovate Accountancy.

An ex-Apostle employee had previously said they were "heartbroken and ashamed" at what had happened at Apostle Accounting.

Emails obtained by the BBC also appeared to contradict Apostle Accounting's statements that clients had been provided with breakdowns of expense items it claimed for on their behalf.

When approached by the BBC about her recent statements on the podcast, Ms Goodchild said: "Everything I have to say is in my podcast. I have nothing further to comment".

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