Can the IRS revoke or deny my passport for tax debt?

Yes. Under the FAST Act (Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act), the IRS can certify seriously delinquent tax debt to the State Department, which will then deny, revoke, or limit your passport. This applies to federal tax debt exceeding $62,000 (adjusted annually for inflation) including penalties and interest. The IRS sends a Notice CP508C when it certifies your debt. You can prevent passport action by: paying the debt in full, entering into an installment agreement and being current on payments, having the IRS accept an Offer in Compromise, requesting a Collection Due Process hearing, or being in Currently Not Collectible status due to hardship. If your passport has already been revoked, resolving the tax debt through any of these methods will prompt the IRS to reverse the certification. If you need to travel urgently for work, medical reasons, or humanitarian purposes, expedited processing is available. This provision has become one of the IRS's most effective collection tools for high-balance taxpayers.