Background Check Secrets, Using the Social Security Administration to Locate a Person Free

The Social Security Administration cannot provide you with an address of someone without his or her permission. However, SSA has a letter forwarding service that can be used to attempt to contact a missing person. The Social Security Administration can attempt to forward a letter to a missing person under circumstances involving a matter of great importance, such as a death or serious illness in the missing person's immediate family, or a sizable amount of money that is due the missing person. Also, the circumstances must concern a matter about which the missing person is unaware and would undoubtedly want to be informed.

Because this service is not related in any way to a Social Security program, its use must be limited so that it does not interfere with regular Internal Revenue Service program activities. There is no charge for forwarding letters that have a humanitarian purpose. However, there is a $25 fee to cover our costs when the letter is to inform the missing person of money or property due him or her. This fee is not refundable. The fee should be paid by a check that is made payable to the Social Security Administration.

The Social Security Administration must read each letter forwarded to ensure that it contains nothing that could prove embarrassing to the missing person if read by a third party. The Social Security Administration does not believe that it would be proper to open a sealed letter; therefore, a letter that is sent for forwarding should be in a plain, unstamped, unsealed envelope showing only the missing person's name.

Nothing of value should be enclosed. To try to locate an address in SSA records, the Social Security Administration needs the missing person's Social Security number or identifying information to help find the number. The identifying information needed is the person's date and place of birth, the father's name, and the mother's full birth name.

If you would like the Social Security Administration to attempt to forward a letter, you must send the SSA a written request. Be sure to include the following: the missing person's name and the identifying information discussed above; your reason for wanting to contact the missing person; the last time the person was seen; and information about other attempts you have made to contact the person. Enclose the letter to be forwarded in a plain, unstamped, unsealed envelope.

Mail your request to:

Social Security Administration Letter Forwarding
P.O. Box 33022
Baltimore, MD 21290-3022

There are no assurances that a letter will be delivered or that a reply will be received, nor can The Social Security Administration advise you of the results of Internal Revenue Service search. Also, The Social Security Administration cannot make a second attempt to locate the missing person. If you have any questions about Internal Revenue Service letter forwarding service, you may call a toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call a "TTY" number, 1-800-325-0778, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on business days.

Sourced: The Background Checkepedia [http://www.backgroundnow.com/]

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First Impressions That Last

Make It Last
You have thirty seconds to make a first impression on every person you meet. In those fleeting seconds, you are sized up. Your intelligence, socioeconomic background, social abilities, emotional stability, integrity, and competence are all determined at that time. Not only that, but those first impressions usually stick and become lasting impressions.

Your associate's or client's opinion of you will probably not change; how he views you right now is how he'll view you from now on. It sounds unreal yet it's true. A respected lawyer friend of mine said that the first thirty seconds are critical in influencing a jury. I hope that's not the only means by which a verdict is rendered. Knowing the importance those seconds have will make all the difference in what you do with them and what verdict others give you.

What Really Matters
So in that short time, what really happens? You are sized up and down from the clothes you wear including your shoes to your hair, your body language, and how you speak. Even the sound of your voice and the words you use tell your business associate or client who you are and how you think and if you think at all. Your grooming, your smell, your carriage and yes, even your fingernails are all transmitters of information. And your handshake also packs a wallop.

The Handshake
Not only do you need to take charge of your business, you need to reel in your body and make it work for you. Are you slouching? Is your handshake limp? You don't want to come across as a push-over with a limp handshake nor do want to overpower someone with a tight grip that demonstrates the need to control. You need to show confidence and warmth and that you can be effective, successful and the right person for any responsibility. And all this with one handshake!

To other people, you appear confident and successful when you deliver a firm handshake and you move decisively. For a female, it's trickier. Not too tight or you're behaving like a man, or too controlling. Too loose and you are at the mercy of your emotions or hormones and thus unpredictable or indecisive.

Keeping up Appearances
Dressing for success sounds trite yet it works to position you in business. Your wardrobe can convey confidence, professionalism, pride and positive self-esteem or the opposite. Your client learns about you before you even open your mouth to speak. She learns that you value yourself because you take time to look good. Your client may consider that if you value you, maybe you'll treat her and her business interests with value also.

The way you look signals your business associate how you take care of details.
How do you feel in your clothes? Are you wiggling or do you look like someone in a very starched and uncomfortable collar? These show your ease and competence. They also convey how well you can be trusted. Remember none of this may really be true, but it doesn't matter. What the other person sees, he believes. From that moment on whenever you are seen, that belief comes into play.

You Are the Message
Are you seen as successful or unsuccessful? Are you approachable or aloof? You need to know what messages you give off. Figure out if they're in line with what you want to communicate. If they're not and if you're really serious about getting ahead, you have to change them. It doesn't matter if you're the most competent and confident person on the planet. If you don't relay that message, no one will believe it. To be successful you have to be seen and heard the way you choose or you won't be heard at all.

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Year-End Tax Tips For Independent Contractors and Self-Employed Workers Who Need Income Tax Relief

With the recession and surging unemployment swelling the ranks of people reinventing themselves, millions of taxpayers are setting up home-based businesses and providing their services as self-employed independent contractors. Whether your new self-employed independent contractor status is a temporary measure or part of your long-planned road map to fortune and glory, there are tax dangers (plus surprisingly lucrative income tax relief) that should grab the attention of every self-employed independent contractor.

We know the IRS is targeting self-employed independent contractors. The government estimates that 85% of the $345 billion tax gap is due to self-employed individuals - freelance professionals and independent contractors who don't get a 1099 the way large business employees do. Being a self-employed independent contractor means you're the boss, unfortunately it also means you're the one on the hook for any problems with back taxes. How you handle your back tax problems will not only determine whether your business will succeed, but it also carries the real threat of jail time if you get it wrong.

To learn more ways to legitimately maximize deductions while avoiding IRS problems, check out Part 2 of this series on Tax Help Tips for Saving Money on Taxes for Freelance Professionals and Self-Employed Individuals.

Read on for my best year-end tax help tips to show self-employed independent contractors how to get the biggest income tax relief possible.

Year-End Income Tax Relief Tip #1: Did you owe back taxes because you made a mistake in your quarterly estimated taxes? If you've spent your life working as an employee, you may be delighted that the first money you receive as a self-employed independent contractor is a flat fee without any taxes taken out. But your joy should be short-lived, this is a case of the taxman being delayed but not denied.

Contact a tax attorney to make sure you have structured your business correctly. If you haven't gotten tax help from a tax attorney yet, there is still time to structure your business to get the maximum income tax relief before the year end. (After that you're stuck with your mistakes. Well, mostly. A good tax attorney or tax resolution specialist can still get you out of back tax trouble, but the best approach is to avoid owing back taxes in the first place.)

Year-End Income Tax Relief Tip #2: Are YOU really a self-employed independent contractor? Many businesses (large and small) mislabel their employees as "self-employed independent contractors" to get income tax relief and sidestep a host of state and federal laws. If your boss has you misclassified as a self-employed independent contractor and you file as one, you could be in a heap of trouble when the IRS comes knocking on either your door or your boss's door to collect back taxes. Suddenly, all those lovely deductions go out the window and your tax bill explodes. If you feel your boss has misclassified you as a self-employed independent contractor, contact a tax attorney or tax resolution specialist immediately for some self-employed independent contractor back tax help before the year ends.

Year-End Income Tax Relief Tip #3: Are your subcontractors really self-employed independent contractors or are THEY employees? While you may be a true self-employed independent contractor, you need to establish whether your subcontractors are self-employed independent contractors or employees. According to IRS Summertime Tax Tip 2009-20, "the cost of misclassification to employers in additional taxes, as well as administrative time, or the loss of tax-favored status for employee benefit plans, can be steep." If you're not sure, contact a tax attorney or tax resolution specialist to get tax help immediately.

Year-End Income Tax Relief Tip #4: Want to get income tax relief on your 2009 self-employed independent contractor work by delaying paying taxes until 2011? For a host of income tax relief reasons, a self-employed independent contractor might want to defer getting paid until next year. If you did work in 2009 but don't want to pay 2009 taxes on it, simply wait to invoice your clients until January 1, 2010. This 2009 income tax relief technique is perfectly legal for self-employed independent contractors as long as you pay taxes on that income in your 2010 tax return.

Year-End Income Tax Relief Tip #5: Get that root canal before New Year's. The secret to income tax relief is just like the secret to great comedy...timing. A self-employed independent contractor's medical expense deduction is limited to 7.5% of the self-employed independent contractor's adjusted gross income. If you haven't reached that cap yet, go have those dental procedures or that bit of elective surgery (we're not just talking about that nose, the swimsuit season will be here again before you know it). As long as you're under that 7.5% limit, you can get income tax relief from your standard variety medical expense deductions. A little known year-end income tax relief tip - you don't even have to pay for the medical procedures before January 1, 2010. Just put the medical charges on plastic and pay the minimum balance. As long as you had the procedures in 2009, the deduction is good. If your medical expenses are already over the 7.5% level of your self-employed independent contractor's adjusted gross income, you should delay breaking your leg until January 1st, 2010.

Year-End Income Tax Relief Tip #6: Pay your state taxes before the ball drops. As a self-employed independent contractor, one of the best income tax relief strategies is to pay your state estimated tax before December 31st. If you pay by December 31, 2009 you get the deduction (on your federal return) in 2009. You can also charge these expenses on your credit card(s) in 2009 and receive the deduction in 2009, even though you won't be paying for them until 2010. If you are having issues paying your estimated state taxes, a tax attorney can give you tax help to get the maximum income tax relief possible.

Year-End Income Tax Relief Tip #7: Make your stock market losses work to your advantage. If your personal portfolio has taken a nose dive, realize your tax losses before New Year's Eve. Long term capital losses can be used to offset long term capital gains, and up to $3,000 of ordinary income, with any remainder carried forward for use in future years. This is about getting income tax relief not whether you made the right investment choices. If you still believe those stocks will go up again, buy them back on January 1st. Keep in mind that some mutual funds can have high capital gains distributions even as they lose money. The best income tax relief advice is to ditch these first because they are hitting you with a double whammy. As a self-employed independent contractor you have access to some of the best retirement accounts out there like a SEP-IRA. To understand which investing should be done as part of a retirement account, and which should be in your personal portfolio and when to take losses for maximum income tax relief, get tax help from an experience CPA or tax attorney.

Year-End Income Tax Relief Tip #8: Give your personal gifts before Rudolph goes flying. As a self-employed independent contractor, you can give a friend or family member up to $13K annually before the year end without having to pay gift taxes. (Your spouse can give that same amount to the same individual.) You can also give that same amount to your child's or grandchild's tax-free 529 education plan. If you haven't funded such a plan yet, you can make a single contribution covering five years of gifting. That's $65,000 you can give per donor per recipient tax-free. (Your spouse can match that contribution as well.)

Year-End Income Tax Relief Tip #9: Give gifts to clients: Gifts to clients are limited to $25 per recipient per year, BUT if the gift has your embossed logo on it and tells about your services, it isn't a gift, it is an advertising or promotional expense. There is a fine line here, a quick call to a CPA or tax attorney for year-end tax help will help you stay on the right side of the law.

Year-End Income Tax Relief Tip #10: Take your retirement contribution to the max. Self-employed independent contractors have the best income tax relief vehicle the federal government has ever offered. While individual worker contributions to a simple IRA max out at $11,500, if you're under 50 in 2010 ($14,000 if you're over 50), how is this for serious income tax relief, as a self-employed independent contractor you can use SEP-IRAs to contribute 25% of your wages (or up to 20% of your Schedule C income) up to a maximum of $49,000. The income tax relief to a self-employed independent contractor are massive. A tax lawyer or CPA an give you the tax help to set up the right retirement vehicle for you.

I know that this is a long list but the income tax relief you can get from just paying attention to the calendar is huge. These 20 self-employed independent contractor tax help tips can make the difference between being a Grinch and having a Happy New Year. Your call.

For more information on achieving a tax resolution for your back taxes or IRS debt, visit www.taxresolution.com for a free tax relief consultation or call 866-IRS-PROBLEMS.

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Maryland Divorce Records

Copies of all Maryland divorce records are kept by their respective county Record Office of Licensing Branch's, and are public records, making them available to anyone who knows what they're looking for. Guidelines may vary from state to state, but one constant is that the MD divorce records must be obtained at the office or courthouse serving the area where the hearings took place. This can be a long process even with living in that area, and if you don't call Maryland home, you could be long at a process of months before being able to get your hands on the records you seek.

As these records can be vital for a number of reasons though, it's often a necessary step to take the time to get them, although luckily we now have alternate means of obtaining the records, resulting in drastically reduced waiting periods. The number one reason for requiring copies of Maine divorce records are for the purposes of remarrying and these records will be needed every time for this purpose, to prove that you can legally remarry. Moving to another state or country may also require you to display these records. Finally, changing one's legal name is also grounds for needing these files.

In some cases you may need certified copies of these files, which will be stamped and signed by a judge. If you have one particular reason for obtaining these files, try to find out ahead of time whether these copies will need to be certified or not. The cost and wait period for receiving certified record will be longer and more prohibitive than uncertified ones, which should suffice in most instances.

With divorce rates constantly on the rise, the number of Maryland divorce records are increasing rapidly, and the need for quick and simple access to these records ever growing, a number of sites dedicated to collecting, organizing and allowing access to these documents for a small fee have sprung up. This makes it easy to acquire copies of your own records, or simply look up the records of other people you may know or have an interest in.

You can access copies of all Maryland divorce records at the county registry. Enter as much information as you can into the search boxes and you'll be on your way to immediate access to the divorce records you need to find, all well organized and of high quality, more than suitable for just about purpose you'll have with them.

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Drowning - Pool Drain Entrapment

Pool drain entrapment is one of the most horrifying ways a person can drown. It can happen when all of the normal safety precautions appear to be observed. It can happen to a child holding their parent's hand and to adults who never swim alone. Once it starts it is almost impossible to stop in time to save a life, but it doesn't have to happen in the first place.

Pool drain entrapment occurs when a pool drain cover is defective or missing. Normal pool operation involves cycling the water through a filtration system, and in order to do this, water must be sucked out of the pool through the drain. When the cover is defective, excessive suction can cause swimmer's hair, clothing, or body parts to be trapped in the drain until they drown. In extreme cases, swimmers are disemboweled by the suction.

Defective Drain Covers

Drain covers should be inspected on a regular basis for brittleness, cracks, loose screws, and improper fit. Obviously they must be present. Defective drain covers include those which are:
o Loose
o Improperly attached
o Brittle and failing
o Broken or cracked
o Missing

The purpose of the drain cover is to prevent body parts from entering the drain and to prevent the drain from becoming blocked or partially blocked.

How Entrapment Occurs

A partially blocked pool drain creates extreme suction. The suction can be so great that the victim cannot be pried loose, even by several large men. When a pool drain cover is missing or broken, a swimmers arm or leg can enter the drain, blocking it and creating suction. Long hair and loose clothing can also get caught in a drain, causing partial blockage and increased suction.

Disembowelment

Disembowelment is the worst-case scenario. When a swimmer sits on a defective or missing pool drain his or her intestines can literally be sucked out through the anus. The damage is irreparable, and often results in death. Those who survive face a lifetime of intravenous feeding and will require a colostomy bag.

There are several measures that pool owners can take to prevent pool drain entrapment:

o Pool drains should be regularly inspected for cracks, brittleness and a secure fit. If there is any sign of a defect, no one should be allowed in the pool until the problem is corrected.
o All pools should have a visible and accessible emergency shut-off switch which immediately shuts down the pump. Everyone who uses or hangs out around the pool should know where the switch is and be able to operate it.
o A modern system, designed to prevent excessive suction should be installed. There are several types of systems which do this. One uses two drains for each pump so that if one becomes blocked water still flows through the second drain. Another type detects high suction and disables the vacuum to prevent entrapment.

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