Holiday Travelers – Has IRS Blocked your Passport?
If you have unpaid IRS tax debt, your international travel could be in danger.
By Department of Treasury procedure, IRS can request to block the issuance or renewal of U.S. Passports for those who owe significant tax debt. If the debt remains without payment arrangement, IRS can request a full revocation of a passport.
This applies to anyone who owes greater than $50,000 in IRS tax, and has not arranged for payment of that federal tax liability. Prior to making a “referral” to revoke a passport, the IRS will add that person to the Department of State’s list of taxpayers with “seriously delinquent debt”. Once on that list, the State Department will not issue a new or renewed passport.
Thereafter, if the tax liability remains delinquent, the government will send that person written notice of its intention to request a passport revocation. Before the IRS sends a revocation referral to the Department of State, IRS issues that Taxpayer a Letter 6152, allowing 30 days to resolve the past-due tax. Timely action can prevent revocation.
Entering, an Installment Agreement can resolve that problem. IRS will re-categorize the debt as “not delinquent”, and will promptly provide information to the U.S. State Department to remove that taxpayer from the list.