In-sites
As the saying goes, the only two sure things in life are death and taxes. In this issue of In-sites, we will look at some Web sites devoted to both of those subjects, as well as some other less ominous sites. Since the holidays are now past, we will all soon be preparing income tax returns for ourselves, and perhaps others as well. The federal Internal Revenue Service has a Web site devoted to providing information on a number of federal income tax issues. At www.irs.gov you can download tax forms and find publications on federal tax law, find information on electronic filing procedures, utilize a withholding calculator to determine how much should be held out of your paycheck to prevent owing taxes at year's end, and other pertinent information. To download state income tax forms, determine the status of any refund payment owed to you, make inquiries as to your tax bill, and obtain other information regarding state income taxes, go to www.revenue.state.il.us. Also at that site is a section entitled, "Public List of Delinquent Taxpayers," a new section devoted to the posting of the names of those delinquent in paying their state income taxes. At the time this article was drafted, no names were found in that section.
Searching for information on an individual believed to be deceased? Go to www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/ vital/ssdi/htm to search the database of deaths reported to the Social Security Administration. Query options include searches by name, social security number, date of birth, date of death and residence. If the individual's death was reported to the Social Security Administration, the database provides information on the deceased's name, dates of birth and death, social security number and last known address. The database presently contains information on over 66 million individuals.
Looking for a map to utilize as an exhibit for trial? Planning a vacation trip across the country or globe and looking for a map of your destination? Curious as to the geographic status of your home state at the turn of the last century? Visit www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/map_sites.html, the University of Texas' on-line map library. The site links to numerous archives containing weather maps, historical maps, etc. that can be viewed and downloaded.
If you are searching for an association addressing your concerns or interests, whether professionally or outside the office, www.ipl.org/ref/AON may have the information you want. The Internet Public Library offers its Associations on the Net service to allow searches of a database of various associations. Browsers can search by keyword or subject, and entries include the name of the association, a brief description of its activities and a Web link to the association.
The ever-growing number of actual computer viruses, as well as rumored and hoax viruses, can make it difficult to determine real versus bogus threats to one's computer. At http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/ vinfodb.html you can check on the validity of suspected computer viruses, Trojan horses, worms and macros. Name searches of suspected viruses can be made, and the site lists the most recently-discovered viruses and the seriousness of the virus in question.