A bill has been introduced in the Senate that will allow the government to deny passports to those that owe $50,000 or more to the IRS. Under the proposed plan, any taxpayer who owes more than the limit and not in a current repayment plan will not be issued a passport. Critics have argued that travel is fundamental right and the proposal would be a violation of the constitution and that the $50,000 threshold is easy to reach when penalties and interest are included. But proponents are quick to counter that the plan would help the government increase compliance with tax payments and only affect serious offenders that have not attempted to resolve the issue. As of now, the plan is still in the Senate and it is unknown when it make it’s way to the House.
See Robert W. Wood, Coming Soon: No Travel Or Passport If You Owe IRS, February 5, 2015.
Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
