Jones Fortenberry PLLC is a boutique law firm providing focused representation in the area of taxation and estate planning. Each of our attorneys holds either a Master of Laws Degree in Taxation (LL.M.) or is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). We serve clients throughout South Mississippi from our office in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Estate Planning Services
We help our estate planning clients arrange their affairs so that their assets are handled as they wish when the client dies or becomes incapacitated. Our background in tax law informs our estate planning practice and helps us ensure that the estate is handled in a tax-efficient manner.
Our estate planning clients come from all walks of life, from the very wealthy to the very modest. Because we don’t “sell” one-size-fits-all estate planning forms, each estate plan is customized to the client’s specific circumstances.
Estate plans may range from a simple will-based estate plan for clients with modest estates to a complex estate plan involving family limited partnerships and tax-driven trusts for more wealthy clients. Because we use an up-front pricing model for estate planning transactions, our clients are able to weigh the cost against the benefit and choose the plan that is appropriate to their circumstances.
Nonprofit and Tax Exempt Organizations
Because each of our attorneys are active in the nonprofit sector, we understand the regulatory and governance challenges that nonprofits face. We help nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations stay in compliance with Federal and state law, including laws relating to Federal income tax exemption and charitable registration.
We advise tax-exempt organizations (including public charities, churches, business leagues, and private foundations) on issues regarding tax exemption and corporate governance. Our nonprofit practice covers all tax matters involving exempt organizations, including:
- Formation of nonprofit organizations
- Recognition and maintenance of tax-exempt status
- Private inurement, private benefit, and intermediate sanctions
- Joint ventures with both charitable and non-charitable entities
- Legislative and political campaign issues
- Public charity and private foundation rules
- Unrelated business income tax (UBIT) planning
- Use of subsidiaries
- Charitable giving and fundraising.
Our attorneys have prepared and negotiated favorable IRS letter rulings and assisted donors and charities with fundraising and gift issues.
Mississippi Small Business Law
We provide full-service legal services to small business clients. Our goal is to form strategic partnerships with our clients to help them reach their business goals. We take the time to understand our small business clients and their businesses so that we can proactively meet their needs.
Our business law practice runs the gamut of the business life cycle, from company formation to mergers and acquisitions to dissolution and corporate reorganization. Our tax background helps us structure each transaction in a manner that will accomplish the client’s goals with the lowest tax cost.