Justin J. Klatsky Esq.

Justin J. Klatsky is a Partner in the Valrico Law Group practicing in the areas of estate planning and administration, general business and corporate law, and tax law. Over the past eight years, he has developed a comprehensive law practice in those areas, focusing on finding tailored solutions to help clients grow and protect their wealth. Justin earned both his Juris Doctor (J.D.) with honors and his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from the University of Florida College of Law. He is a member of the Florida Bar and is admitted to practice before the United States Tax Court.

As an attorney practicing in the area of estate planning, Justin employs wills, trusts, and other devices to protect his clients' assets, interests, and legacy. He believes that in estates and trusts law, asset protection starts with proper planning for both death and incapacity. Justin's estate planning practice is further informed by his experience involved in the administration of trusts and estates; so, Justin does not just plan and implement estate planning for those living, but he has experience with seeing the results of planning (or lack thereof) for those that have passed. He has experience with formal, summary, and ancillary administration, trust and will disputes, and reformation and modification of trusts.

Further, because Justin is also a tax attorney, he advises clients on tax issues of estate planning and administration. For those that have concerns about transfer taxes, such as estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes, and income tax concerns, Justin helps to protect his clients' assets, interests, and legacy by using various advanced planning techniques, such as ILITs, FLPs, QTIPs. Also, as a tax attorney, Justin has experience preparing gift and estate tax returns.

Justin assists business owners at the various stages of the lives of their businesses. At the "birth" of a new enterprise or idea, he counsels entrepreneurs on both how to select the proper entity for their business and how to form their business, with an eye on both tax and liability concerns. During the "life" of the business, Justin advises clients on topics such as asset and stock sales and purchases, shareholder or member buyouts and redemptions, mergers, other reorganizations, and the various conversions of entities from one form to another. Justin has experience with drafting, review, revision, and conflicts involving numerous business agreements. Because of his experience in estate planning and taxation, Justin also assists business owners with developing and implementing customized business succession plans that address the many questions involved in what may happen to a business once the primary operators or owners are no longer involved. In addition to his experience in providing counsel to owners of for-profit enterprises, Justin also has similar experience working with nonprofits and their founders.

There are few situations as stressful as getting a notice, letter, or a visit from the IRS. As a tax attorney, Justin represents individuals, businesses, and organizations in federal tax matters. He has experience assisting clients that have unpaid or unfiled taxes, have received a notice from the IRS, or are subject to a lien or levy (garnishment of wages, other income, or from a bank account). To resolve these issues, Justin provides representation at all levels of the administrative process, including audit (IRS examination), appeal (IRS Appeals), and collections, as well as at the judicial level of the U.S. Tax Court. He also has experience with international tax issues relating to foreign assets and offshore accounts, whether under audit, involving the disclosure procedures, or the planning involved in such ownership.

Justin Klatsky earned his B.A with honors from the Johns Hopkins University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) with honors from the University of Florida College of Law, serving as Student Works Editor of the University of Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy and earning a Certificate in Estates and Trusts Practice. Justin also earned his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from the University of Florida, where he served as graduate assistant to Professor Steven Willis.

Justin Klatsky served as Co-Chairman of the Tax Law Section of the Hillsborough County Bar Association for eight years, and he is currently a member of the Tax Law and Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Sections of the Florida and Hillsborough County Bar Associations. Justin is also a member of the Tampa Bay Estate Planning Council. He has served as a lecturer for Florida Bar approved continuing legal education courses for his peers, authored numerous articles, and presented to professional and community groups on various topics in his areas of practice.

When not assisting his clients, Justin Klatsky enjoys participating in the sport of Schutzhund with his two working line German Shepherds (Bianka and Cade), relaxing with a good book, or traveling the back roads of Florida on the hunt for antiques with his wife, Lily. He and Lily are members of Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Brandon, Florida.