Do I Need to Hire a Non-Profit Lawyer?
Robinson Law Offices P.C. provides Oklahoma nonprofit tax exempt attorneys that are affordable and experienced. In forming a nonprofit organization many people assume that it would be more economical to order forms on line and try to submit the application themselves. They often trust complicated legal issues to someone on the Internet who promises to deliver documents to them cheaply.
These documents are not prepared by an attorney who has knowledge of tax exempt laws and they are not often even submitted to the correct place. There is not any ongoing representation by an attorney either. This decision can lead to terrible consequences for the donor and the organization.We have seen many people apply only for state nonprofit corporate status and not ever obtain IRS recognition as a tax exempt organization.
We have seen other people submit the necessary documents to the IRS but fail to obtain recognition because they did not know how to respond correctly to the legal questions fired back at them from the IRS.
As the organizer of a 501C3 you have a fiduciary duty to ethically and properly manage the funds that are donated to your organization. Your mission can be destroyed if you never obtain tax exempt status or if you lose it because the organization was not properly formed or maintained. This happened to thousands of charitable organizations this year.
We regularly receive calls from distressed nonprofit organizers who have wasted valuable time and spent precious finances only to end up not obtaining tax exempt status. Then we often have to start everything all over because it was not done correctly.
We offer affordable nonprofit attorney services with flexible payment plans and a free consultation. There are many services Robinson Law Offices P.C. offers that our nonprofit clients have found very valuable. What will we do for you? We will…
- Incorporate your churches, ministries, private foundations, endowments, charitable organizations, title holding companies, and schools.
- Apply for 501(c)(3) federal income tax-exemption for non-profit entities.
- Perform 501(c)(3) compliance audits and advise you regarding maintenance of exempt status.
- Help you register state and federal trademarks for your non-profit organization.
- Prepare bylaws, amendments, fictitious names, mergers, and certificate of qualification.
- Structure complex transactions with multiple non-profits or between non-profits and for-profits.
- Counsel Pastors and church treasurers regarding tax issues, including the tax on unrelated business income (UBIT), pastor compensation and ministerial housing allowance.
- Survey and analyze pastor compensation and issue opinion letters regarding permissible amounts of “reasonable compensation“.
- Draft, review, and negotiate contracts of almost any variety, such as purchase agreements, employment contracts, construction agreements, and borrowing / loan agreements.
- Advise you on employment and personnel issues, and draft and review employment manuals, applications, and policies.
- Counsel clients regarding liability issues and measures to reduce liability exposure, including policies and procedures.
- Advise and consult with you on your organization’s intellectual property.
As you can see, a nonprofit organization can have need for services that almost any for-profit business needs. Actually, a nonprofit also has more, because of the unique nature of maintaining compliance with tax exempt laws and regulations which have no application to a tax paying for-profit entity.That is why it is especially wise for you to seek professional counsel for your nonprofit entity.
Before choosing a nonprofit tax exempt attorney consider the following:
- Will you be able to talk with an attorney personally?We take service to our business, entertainment and nonprofit clients very seriously. You are our top priority and will speak to us. Your documents are completed by us as your attorneys personally and we personally handle your case.
- How Much Experience Does the non profit Attorney Have?We are a partnership of Christian Attorneys with combined experience of over 40 years practicing law. Mark Robinson has handled nonprofit formation and representation for over 20 years. He has taught at a Christian University on topics related to this area of practice and has sat on the board of a nonprofit ministry for several years. Roberta Robinson served as secretary, Vice President and President of the Oklahoma Brain Injury nonprofit organization. She chaired several state wide CME events for the OKBIA and helped raise over $400,000.00 at a fund raising event she hosted. Both Mark and Roberta and their children have participated personally in mission trips hosted by large nonprofit organizations. Through their work and personal experiences they are very experienced with nonprofit tax exempt and 501C3 matters.
- How fast will the work be done for you?Mark Robinson will send the completed state application to you within days of receiving all of the completed paperwork and fees from you. We will complete the IRS application shortly after receiving all of the necessary funds for the IRS application and all of the completed paperwork from you.
- Will an attorney draft my documents?The documents you need will be drafted by our nonprofit tax exempt attorneys. We are passionate about missions and have represented many nonprofit organizations including churches, ministries, sports clubs, equine clubs and others with formation and maintenance issues.
We have enjoyed personally participating in mission trips to Pakistan and Mexico with Open Doors Ministries and have been delighted to see our children participate with Teen Mania and Victory Teen Missions in many foreign countries. We are blessed to see how nonprofit organizations can be so effective when set up and run properly! Contact the experienced nonprofit attorneys at Robinson Law Offices P.C. for the help you need today!
Pictures from Mark’s Mission Trip to Bangladesh with Open Doors Ministries:
(click on images for larger view)
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