Most people know that unpaid tax debt can lead to wage garnishments, bank levies, and liens on property. But there’s another consequence that catches people completely off guard — one that doesn’t just affect your finances, but your freedom to travel: passport revocation.
Yes, the IRS can get your passport revoked or denied. And unlike a levy or a lien, this one can strand you abroad, cost you a job opportunity, or derail a trip you’ve been planning for years. Here’s everything you need to know about how it works and what you can do about it.
The Law Behind It: The Fast Act
In 2015, Congress passed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which gave the IRS a powerful new tool in its collection arsenal. Under this law, the IRS can certify seriously delinquent tax debts to the State Department, which then has the authority to deny, revoke, or limit your U.S. passport.
It sounds like something out of a spy thriller, but it happens to ordinary Americans every day — people who simply fell behind on their taxes and didn’t realize the consequences could extend this far.
What Qualifies as a “Seriously Delinquent” Tax Debt?
Not every tax debt triggers passport action. The IRS defines a seriously delinquent tax debt as an individual federal tax liability — including interest and penalties — that exceeds $62,000 (this threshold is adjusted annually for inflation) and for which a Notice of Federal Tax Lien has been filed and all administrative remedies have lapsed, or a levy has been issued.
So you need to owe a significant amount, and the IRS needs to have already taken formal collection steps before your passport is at risk. That said, with interest and penalties compounding over time, many taxpayers find themselves crossing that threshold without realizing it.
What Actually Happens to Your Passport?
Once the IRS certifies your debt to the State Department, a few things can happen depending on your situation:
If you currently have a valid passport, it can be revoked — meaning you’ll be required to surrender it and you won’t be able to use it for international travel. If you apply for a new passport or a renewal, your application will be denied. If you already have a passport and are traveling internationally, you may be issued a limited-validity passport that only allows you to return to the United States.
The State Department is required to notify you when your passport has been revoked or your application denied due to tax debt. But by that point, the damage may already be done — especially if you have an upcoming international trip, a work assignment abroad, or a visa application that depends on your passport status.
Who Is Exempt?
There are some situations where passport certification does not apply, even if you have a large tax debt. These include taxpayers who are in an approved installment agreement with the IRS, those whose Offer in Compromise has been accepted and is being paid, individuals who have requested a CDP hearing or filed a timely appeal, those whose debt is currently suspended because of innocent spouse relief requests, taxpayers in bankruptcy, and those whose debt is classified as Currently Not Collectible.
Notice a pattern? In almost every case, the exemption applies because the taxpayer is actively working to resolve their debt. The IRS is not trying to punish people who are making a genuine effort — it’s targeting those who have ignored the problem entirely.
How Do You Get Your Passport Back?
If your passport has already been revoked or your application denied, the path to getting it back runs directly through resolving your tax debt. The IRS will reverse the certification — and notify the State Department — once any of the following occurs: you pay the debt in full, you enter into an installment agreement, your Offer in Compromise is accepted, you are placed in Currently Not Collectible status, or the IRS determines that the certification was made in error.
Once the IRS reverses the certification, the State Department typically processes the reversal within about 30 days. That’s not instant, so if you have an upcoming trip, it’s critical to start the resolution process as early as possible.
What If You Need to Travel Urgently?
If you have an emergency — a serious illness in the family, a funeral abroad, or another urgent situation — you can contact the IRS directly and request an expedited reversal based on humanitarian grounds. This is handled on a case-by-case basis and typically requires documentation of the emergency.
This is another situation where having a tax professional represent you makes a real difference. Navigating an expedited request with the IRS on your own, under time pressure, is stressful and complicated. A tax resolution specialist knows exactly who to contact and what to say to move things along as quickly as possible.
Can You Check If You’ve Been Certified?
The IRS is required to send you a notice — CP508C — when your debt has been certified to the State Department. If you’ve received this notice, the clock is ticking. If you’re not sure whether you’ve been certified, a tax professional can pull your IRS transcripts and account records to find out exactly where things stand.
The Bottom Line
Owing back taxes is stressful enough without the added consequence of losing your ability to travel internationally. The good news is that passport revocation is entirely preventable — and reversible — as long as you take action before things escalate.
If you owe more than $62,000 to the IRS, have unfiled returns, or have been ignoring IRS notices, now is the time to get ahead of this. At Brightside Tax Relief, we help clients across the country resolve serious tax debts and protect their rights — including their right to travel.
Call us today at 844-638-0800 or visit brightsidetaxrelief.com. Let’s figure out a path forward together.
The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Every tax situation is unique. Contact a qualified tax professional for guidance specific to your circumstances.
