Pay Your Tax Debts if You Want to Keep Your Passport: Kiplinger Tax Letter
Are you applying for or renewing a passport? Be sure you’ve paid your federal taxes.
Getting the right tax advice and tips is vital in the complex tax world we live in. The Kiplinger Tax Letter helps you stay right on the money with the latest news and forecasts, with insight from our highly experienced team (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Tax Letter or subscribe). You can only get the full array of advice by subscribing to the Tax Letter, but we will regularly feature snippets from it online, and here is one of those samples…
The U.S. State Department can deny or revoke U.S. passports of people with federal tax debts of $59,000 or more on whom a tax lien or levy has been filed, This doesn’t include individuals who are paying their taxes under an installment agreement, people in bankruptcy, individuals who live in a federally declared disaster area, or people with a tax debt that the IRS has determined isn’t collectible because of hardship.
The IRS gives names of affected taxpayers to the State Department. The agency also lets people with certified debts know that their names were submitted to the State Department. If you get a notice CP508C, contact the IRS to resolve the debt.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Cases involving passports and tax debts
Legal cases involving passport revocations are increasingly before the U.S. Tax Court. And the IRS has won them all so far.
Take these two recent decisions: In the first case, a man who owed about $62,000 in tax debts over three years claimed that the IRS erroneously certified his debt to the State Department. The Tax Court decided that the IRS acted appropriately and tossed the case (Gayou, TC Memo. 2023-61).
In the second case, a man who owed more than $100,000 in taxes over eight years claimed he never received the CP508C notice. According to the Tax Court, a flawed or missing notice doesn’t render the certification to the State Department erroneous (Meduty, 160 TC No. 13).
This first appeared in The Kiplinger Tax Letter. It helps you navigate the complex world of tax by keeping you up-to-date on new and pending changes in tax laws, providing tips to lower your business and personal taxes, and forecasting what the White House and Congress might do with taxes. Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Tax Letter or subscribe.
Related Content
- How Long It Takes to Renew Your Passport and What to Do If You're Traveling Soon
- The 10 Cheapest Countries to Visit
-
The Rule of Compounding: Why Time Is an Investor's Best FriendDescribed as both a "miracle" and a "wonder," compound interest is simply a function of time.
-
4 Great Tools to DIY Your Own Financial PlanSmart Savings Several tools picked out by Kiplinger that DIYers can use to make their own financial plan.
-
The 7-Month Deadline That Sets Your Lifetime Medicare PremiumsUnderstanding Medicare enrollment is crucial, as missing deadlines can lead to permanent late enrollment penalties and gaps in coverage.
-
Law Reversal Looming? Trump Eyes 2026 Gambling Winnings Tax ChangeTax Deductions It's no secret that the IRS is coming after your gambling winnings in 2026. But how long will that last?
-
AI Appliances Aren’t Exciting Buyers…YetThe Kiplinger Letter Artificial intelligence is being embedded into all sorts of appliances. Now sellers need to get customers to care about AI-powered laundry.
-
The 'Scrooge' Strategy: How to Turn Your Old Junk Into a Tax DeductionTax Deductions We break down the IRS rules for non-cash charitable contributions. Plus, here's a handy checklist before you donate to charity this year.
-
IRS Says You Made a Tax Return Mistake? A New Law Could Help You Fight BackTax Law Updated taxpayer protections change what the IRS must explain on error notices and how long you have to respond.
-
Tax Refund Alert: House GOP Predicts 'Average' $1,000 Payouts in 2026Tax Refunds Here's how the IRS tax refund outlook for 2026 is changing and what steps you can take now to prepare.
-
New 2026 Tax Change Could Mean More for Your IRA and 401(k) SavingsRetirement Savings Here's how the new IRS inflation adjustments will increase the contribution limits for your 401(k) and IRA in the new year.
-
3 Ways High-Income Earners Can Maximize Their Charitable Donations in 2025Tax Deductions New charitable giving tax rules will soon lower your deduction for donations to charity — here’s what you should do now.
-
10 Retirement Tax Plan Moves to Make Before December 31Retirement Taxes Proactively reviewing your health coverage, RMDs and IRAs can lower retirement taxes in 2025 and 2026. Here’s how.
