Unlike many rural Florida counties that lack a resident Certified Public Accountant, Franklin County hosts two active brick-and-mortar Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) Board of Accountancy-regulated CPA practices (F.S. Chapter 473) physically operating inside Apalachicola (32320) and Eastpoint (32328), backed by multi-partner audit and fiduciary trust tax firms along the US-98 / US-319 corridor: (1) Roberson & Associates, P.A. — Apalachicola & Port St. Joe Offices (Florida Sunbiz Profit Corporation Doc# P01000056078, incorporated May 29, 2001, https://www.rapacpas.com), operating its in-county Franklin County office in historic downtown Apalachicola at 219 Avenue E, Apalachicola, FL 32320 ((850) 653-1090) and its Gulf County headquarters 22 miles west at 116-A Sailors Cove Drive, Port St. Joe, FL 32456 ((850) 227-3838), led by Principal Ralph Christian 'Chris' Roberson, CPA (Florida DBPR CPA License #AC0007186, continuously licensed since September 1978—48+ years of public accounting practice with 0 disciplinary actions; AICPA & FICPA member); (2) Fisher & Friedman, P.A. — Eastpoint / St. George Island Office (Florida Sunbiz Profit Corporation Doc# P15000006370, incorporated January 20, 2015, https://www.fisher-friedman.com), located at 25 Island Drive (and 171 US Highway 98 West, Suite D/K), Eastpoint, FL 32328 ((850) 670-4016), co-founded by Principals Laura Fisher, CPA and Mark Whitehead Friedman, CPA, PFS, AWMA® (AICPA Personal Financial Specialist & FINRA/SEC CRD #2063019, 0 disciplinary actions); (3) US-98 / US-319 North Crawfordville CPA Practices (30 Mi. NE of Carrabelle) — Shepard Accounting & Tax Service (Phillips & Revell, CPAs, P.A., Sunbiz Doc# P13000099159, 3234 Crawfordville Hwy, Crawfordville, FL 32327, (850) 926-9802 — Managing Partner Lorra L. Phillips, CPA, DBPR License #AC0030904 & Jessica S. Revell, CPA), Traci B. Cash, CPA, L.L.C. (Sunbiz Doc# L00000008172, 2813 Crawfordville Hwy, (850) 926-7600), and Rose Group CPAs, LLC (Sunbiz Doc# M24000000283, 3119-A Crawfordville Hwy, (850) 759-5080 — Sherri Rose, CPA); and (4) 2nd Judicial Circuit Regional Multi-Partner CPA & Audit Firms in Tallahassee — Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC (DBPR CPA Firm License #AD0016615, 2633 Centennial Blvd, Ste 200, Tallahassee, FL 32308, (850) 878-8777), Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. (DBPR CPA Firm License #AD0015619, Sunbiz Doc# P93000049642, 2615 Centennial Blvd, Ste 200, Tallahassee, (850) 668-8100), and James Moore & Co., P.L. (DBPR CPA Firm License #AD0016552, Sunbiz Doc# L94000001053, 2477 Tim Gamble Pl, Ste 200, Tallahassee, FL 32308, (850) 386-6184) (acceptsMedicaid: false).
Official Verification Sources: Roberson & Associates, P.A. — Apalachicola (219 Avenue E) & Port St. Joe CPA Offices (#P01000056078 / #AC0007186); Fisher & Friedman, P.A. — Eastpoint / St. George Island CPA Office (25 Island Dr, Eastpoint — #P15000006370); Florida DBPR Licensee Search — Ralph C. Roberson (#AC0007186), Lorra L. Phillips (#AC0030904), CRI (#AD0016615), THF (#AD0015619) & James Moore (#AD0016552)
Issuer: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) Board of Accountancy & FL Division of Corporations
Notes: Verified 2026-10-26 via Florida DBPR & Sunbiz: Roberson & Associates, P.A. (Sunbiz Doc #P01000056078, led by 48-year Florida CPA Ralph Christian Roberson, #AC0007186, 0 discipline) operates at 219 Avenue E, Apalachicola, FL 32320 ((850) 653-1090) and 116-A Sailors Cove Dr, Port St. Joe, FL 32456 ((850) 227-3838). Fisher & Friedman, P.A. (Sunbiz Doc #P15000006370, co-founded in 2015 by Laura Fisher, CPA and Mark W. Friedman, CPA, PFS, AWMA®, CRD #2063019) operates at 25 Island Dr, Eastpoint, FL 32328 ((850) 670-4016).
Issuer: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) — Division of Certified Public Accounting
Notes: Verified 2026-10-26: Provides corridor CPA access in Crawfordville (3234 & 2813 Crawfordville Hwy) and institutional fiduciary estate, trust, and governmental audit services in Tallahassee (Carr, Riggs & Ingram #AD0016615, Thomas Howell Ferguson #AD0015619, and James Moore & Co. #AD0016552).
Factual details and direct answers about Franklin County In-County & 2nd Circuit Licensed CPA & Fiduciary Tax Network — Roberson & Associates, P.A. (Apalachicola & Port St. Joe — Ralph C. 'Chris' Roberson, CPA #AC0007186) & Fisher & Friedman, P.A. (Eastpoint — Laura Fisher, CPA & Mark W. Friedman, CPA, PFS) — With Shepard Accounting (#AC0030904), Carr Riggs & Ingram (#AD0016615), Thomas Howell Ferguson (#AD0015619) & James Moore & Co. (#AD0016552)'s services, licensing, and credentials.
Are there licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) offices physically located inside Apalachicola and Eastpoint?
Yes. Franklin County is served by two brick-and-mortar in-county CPA firms: Roberson & Associates, P.A. (Sunbiz Doc #P01000056078, led by 48-year Florida CPA Ralph Christian 'Chris' Roberson, DBPR License #AC0007186) at 219 Avenue E in downtown Apalachicola ((850) 653-1090, with its sister office at 116-A Sailors Cove Dr in Port St. Joe, (850) 227-3838), and Fisher & Friedman, P.A. (Sunbiz Doc #P15000006370, led by Laura Fisher, CPA and Mark W. Friedman, CPA, PFS, AWMA®) at 25 Island Drive in Eastpoint ((850) 670-4016).
How do Franklin County CPAs help surviving spouses and personal representatives with inherited coastal real estate and probate estates?
When a homeowner or retiree in Apalachicola, St. George Island, Eastpoint, Carrabelle, or Alligator Point passes away, a licensed Florida CPA prepares the final individual return (Form 1040-SR), files IRS Form 1041 fiduciary income tax returns for the probate estate or living trust, documents the date-of-death 'step-up in cost basis' (IRC § 1014) on appreciated coastal homes or vacation rentals to eliminate capital gains tax, and models RMD and Roth conversion strategies to keep the surviving spouse out of higher single-filer tax brackets and Medicare IRMAA surcharges.
Connect with complementary legal, financial, and residential providers serving seniors in Apalachicola and Franklin County.
Franklin County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller — Probate, Guardianship & Small Estates Division (Hon. Michele Maxwell, Judge Jay Gordon Shuler, County Attorney Thomas M. 'Michael' Shuler, Esq. & 2nd Circuit Public Guardian)
Apalachicola, Franklin County
(850) 653-8861
Apalachicola Housing Authority (HUD PHA #FL036) & Northwest Florida Regional Housing Authority (#FL046) — Franklin County Senior Public Housing & Section 8 Registry
Apalachicola, Franklin County
(850) 653-9304
George E. Weems Memorial Hospital (AHCA #4173 — Critical Access Swing-Bed Skilled Nursing, 24/7 Emergency & Weems Medical Centers East & West) & Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf Border Hospital
Apalachicola, Franklin County
(850) 653-8853
Expert guidance, benefit eligibility rules, and state protections for older Florida residents and family caregivers.
Florida Senior Property Tax & Homestead Exemptions →
Verifying household Adjusted Gross Income limits for Franklin County's Low-Income Senior Homestead Exemption and Save Our Homes portability.
Medicare Savings Programs in Florida →
Structuring retirement distributions and coastal property sales to avoid Medicare Part B and Part D IRMAA surcharges.
Centennial Bank — Apalachicola, Eastpoint, St. George Island & Carrabelle In-County Branches, Centennial Financial Services (Crowley Wealth / Ameriprise) & PeoplesSouth Bank (Apalachicola)
Apalachicola, Franklin County
OCC & Florida Chartered Corporate Trust & Coastal/Timber Estate Fiduciary Network — Capital City Trust Company & Capital City Bank (Port St. Joe & Crawfordville Branches), Centennial Bank Trust, Synovus Trust Company, N.A., Regions Bank Trust & Hancock Whitney Trust
Apalachicola, Franklin County
Franklin County Credit Union Senior Banking & CUSO Fiduciary Retirement Network — Emerald Coast FCU (#3388) & Tyndall FCU (#10754) (Port St. Joe 22 Mi. W) + Champions First CU (#67874 / Eddie Knowles, AIF®), Gulf Winds CU (#68694), First Commerce CU (#68301 / Six Pillars CFP®), First Florida CU (#68509), Envision / Addition Financial (#68173) & TMH FCU (#14368)
Apalachicola, Franklin County
Franklin County In-County Insurance & Coastal Corridor Senior Annuity Protection Network — Cook Insurance Agency (#H44240) & Acentria Insurance (Apalachicola) + Wakulla County Farm Bureau (Lisa M. Griner #A105108) & Gulf / Calhoun Farm Bureau (Southern Farm Bureau Life NAIC #68896)
Apalachicola, Franklin County
Disclaimer: This directory listing is for informational purposes only. Florida Senior Support does not endorse or guarantee the quality of services. Please verify information and services directly with the organization.