En esta noticia
Thousands of taxpayers are unaware that a large tax debt can have consequences far beyond fines and interest. In certain cases, the U.S. Government can block the issuance of new passports, prevent their renewal, and even request the revocation of already valid documents.
The measure stems from coordination between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of State, which allows restricting passports of people with significant unresolved federal tax debts.
The procedure that can put all passports at risk
According to official IRS information, a person can be certified as a seriously delinquent taxpayer when they have an unpaid federal tax debt of more than USD 66,000, including taxes, interest, and penalties. This threshold is adjusted periodically for inflation.
For the measure to apply, the IRS must have initiated formal collection actions, such as:
- Filing a federal tax lien
- Issuing a tax levy (levy)
- Exhausting certain administrative remedies
Passports of everyone who delayed this procedure are banned and invalidated
Once the IRS certifies the debt to the Department of State, the authorities can:
- Deny the issuance of a new passport
- Reject a renewal application
- Suspend the ongoing renewal process
- Revoke a valid passport in certain cases
