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.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-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
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
Joy is an experienced CPA and tax attorney with an L.L.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. After many years working for big law and accounting firms, Joy saw the light and now puts her education, legal experience and in-depth knowledge of federal tax law to use writing for Kiplinger. She writes and edits The Kiplinger Tax Letter and contributes federal tax and retirement stories to kiplinger.com and Kiplinger’s Retirement Report. Her articles have been picked up by the Washington Post and other media outlets. Joy has also appeared as a tax expert in newspapers, on television and on radio discussing federal tax developments.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Rally Despite Rising Geopolitical Tension
The main indexes were mixed on Tuesday but closed well off their lows after an early flight to safety.
By David Dittman Published
-
What's at Stake for Alphabet as DOJ Eyes Google's Chrome
Alphabet is higher Tuesday even as antitrust officials at the DOJ support forcing Google to sell its popular web browser. Here's what you need to know.
By Joey Solitro Published
-
Tax Changes are on Trump's 2025 To-Do List
The Tax Letter Donald Trump campaigned on lower taxes and, as president, he will push Congress to pass big tax changes next year
By Joy Taylor Published
-
Two Consequential Tax Cases You May Not Have Heard About
The Supreme Court's decisions in these cases create uncertainty about challenging IRS regulations and guidance. Expect more litigation to follow.
By John M. Goralka Published
-
Harris vs. Trump's Tax Wish List: Income Tax, Capital Gains, Estate Tax and More
The Tax Letter Take a comprehensive look at Harris and Trump's tax proposals. We cover income tax rates, tax credits and deductions, capital gains tax, estate tax, corporate tax and much more
By Joy Taylor Published
-
Will lower mortgage rates bring relief to the housing market?
The Kiplinger Letter As mortgage rates slowly come down here's what to expect in the housing market over the next year or so.
By Rodrigo Sermeño Published
-
What are Trump's Positions on Capital Gains Taxes?
The Tax Letter Harris and Trump have different views on taxing capital gains. See what Trump said he would do if elected to the White House.
By Joy Taylor Last updated
-
Sometimes It Pays to 'Blow the Whistle' on IRS Tax Evaders
Tax Fraud The IRS recently awarded three IRS whistleblowers $74 million. Here's why.
By Kate Schubel Published
-
The Big CPA Shortage Problem in Accounting
Career This once resilient accounting industry is cracking, as the labor force seems in dire straits. It’s also affecting the IRS.
By Gabriella Cruz-Martínez Last updated
-
Changes to Estate Tax Are Coming... Six Options Congress Could Take
The Tax Letter An important estate tax change is looming. Here are six ways that Congress might address estate taxes in 2025.
By Joy Taylor Published