Hundreds of thousands of truckers, and people in general, could be at risk of not being able to renew their passport if they owe taxes of $51,000 to the Internal Revenue Service, until that debt is negotiated and resolved. Federal officials are intensifying the application of a law passed by Congress in 2015. This law requires the IRS, in coordination with the State Department, to deny or revoke passports if that amount, or more, is due in federal taxes.

Recently, the agency provided new details on the application of the law that went into effect in February, reports the Wall Street Journal. An IRS spokesperson told the newspaper that up to 362,000 people, including truckers, have a tax liability that would make them ineligible to renew or issue passports. The IRS is in the process of sending all of these names to the Department of State, which estimates to deliver all this information before the end of the year.

A State Department official confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that the agency has already denied passports to many people who have tax debts. In addition, the Commissioner of the IRS Division, Mary Beth Murphy, told the newspaper last month that, for now, the US authorities are only denying new passports to those who have debts instead of revoking them.

This means that those who have a valid current passport and have a debt of $51,000 or more will be able to travel abroad but could not renew their passports. On the other hand, those with debt and without a passport will be denied if they apply for a new one.

According to the IRS, the amount of $51,000 was adjusted for inflation and this amount includes taxes, penalties and interest. It does not include debts with the IRS, such as FBAR fines for not reporting on bank accounts abroad. People within Child Support, people in bankruptcy, people with payment plans, victims of identity theft or people in federally declared disaster areas are not under the risk of this law.
The State Department told this newspaper that a passport can be issued for emergencies or humanitarian reasons to ensure that a US citizen can return to the United States from abroad.

The IRS will notify, in writing, those in debt at the same time they notify the Department of State, however, this decision will not change until the debtors satisfy their debt, either with the total payment of the debt, a payment plan or another type of agreement.