Passports and Seriously Delinquent Tax Debt

If the Secretary of the Treasury informs us that you have seriously delinquent tax debt, we cannot issue a U.S. passport to you. In addition, we may revoke your current U.S. passport. Seriously delinquent tax debt is your unpaid, legally enforceable federal tax debt (includes interest and penalties).

If you are overseas, you may be eligible for a limited-validity passport which can be used for direct return to the United States.

Contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to resolve your debt before applying for a passport. If you do not resolve your tax issues before applying for a passport, your application will be delayed or denied.

If you have seriously delinquent tax debt and have already applied for a new U.S. passport, we cannot issue a new passport to you until you have resolved your tax issues with the IRS. 

For more information on seriously delinquent tax debt, see Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Unpaid Taxes on the IRS website.

Questions About Your Tax Debt

We do not have any information about your seriously delinquent tax debt. For questions, or to resolve your seriously delinquent tax debt, please contact the IRS:

  • By Phone: 1-855-519-4965 or 1-267-941-1004 (international)
  • By Mail:

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Attn: Passport
PO Box 8208
Philadelphia, PA 19101-8208

Last Updated: December 21, 2022