En esta noticia
Thousands of taxpayers do not know that a large tax debt can have consequences far beyond fines and interest. In certain cases, the United States Government can block the issuance of new passports, prevent their renewal, and even request the revocation of already valid documents.
The measure arises from coordination between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of State, which allows restricting the passports of people with significant unresolved federal tax debts.
The procedure that puts all passports at risk
According to official IRS information, a person can be certified as a serious tax debtor when they have an enforceable federal debt greater 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:
- The filing of a federal tax lien
- The issuance of a tax levy (levy)
- The exhaustion of certain administrative avenues
Passports of all those who have postponed this procedure are prohibited 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