Owe The IRS? Bill Would Suspend Passport Rights For Delinquent Taxpayers

[alp227]

A bill authored by a Southland lawmaker that could potentially allow the federal government to prevent any Americans who owe back taxes from traveling outside the U.S. is one step closer to becoming law.

Senate Bill 1813 was introduced back in November by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Los Angeles) to “reauthorize Federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs, and for other purposes” .

After clearing the Senate on a 74 – 22 vote on March 14, SB 1813 is now headed for a vote in the House of Representatives, where it’s expected to encounter stiffer opposition among the GOP majority.

In addition to authorizing appropriations for federal transportation and infrastructure programs, the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” or “MAP-21? includes a provision that would allow for the “revocation or denial” of a passport for anyone with “certain unpaid taxes” or “tax delinquencies”.

full: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/04/04/owe-the-irs-bill-would-suspend-passport-travel-rights-for-delinquent-taxpayers/

[msongs]

1. democrats get more like republicans every second of the day nt

[truebrit71]

2. Barbara Boxer sponsored this???

[Zalatix]

4. I wonder if she was aiming to catch rich folks who dodge taxes?

If so, then perhaps she doesn't realize how much this law will backfire. Badly.

[woo me with science]

10. It's creepy as hell.

We used to need laws to keep people out. Now if you owe money, you can't leave????

We are in serious trouble in this country.

[SDjack]

19. We are becoming like the broke communist states during the Cold War.

A West German friend of mine married a woman in Romania during the Cold War. Surprise -- she could not get an exit visit because the state claimed a right to be reimbursed for educating her. "Luckily", a Communist Party boss stepped forward with a solution. My friend paid all the claim and bribe money, and she got her passport and exit visit. Perfect scheme for selling our citizens to other countries. Disappointing that any DEM would vote for it.

[Better Believe It]

30. It could br worded to cover those who owe at least a million bucks and not average working people.

But that won't be done.

[Zalatix]

32. Nope, the ones who owe a million bucks will buy their way past the law.

To say nothing of those who stash their money offshore.

[Justice wanted]

3. hmmm. Interesting and say someone owed the government money THEY pay it --think of the guy in

New Jersey and paid his fine--BUT they STILL deny you the passport because the "Delinquent Taxes" are still on the books.


Interesting way to keep people in the country.

[closeupready]

5. Unconstitutional.

But when has that ever stopped this Congress from passing crap.

[COLGATE4]

6. How is it unconstitutional?

[closeupready]

13. 5th and 14th Amendments.

nt

[COLGATE4]

28. How about an answer to my question.

Note: merely putting down words - 5th Amendment, 14th Amendment doesn't count.

[closeupready]

29. How about I just put you on ignore, and save us all wasted energy?

Clearly, you have no interest in using your mind, and I have no interest in sparring with you.

Plonk.

[jberryhill]

14. Not having a passport does not prevent you from leaving the country

A lot of people are confused by this because they were required to show the airline a passport for departure. That's just an airline requirement, so they don't get charged for, and have to return, a passenger delivered to an entry without one.

Airline regulations aside, you don't have to "check out" with the government when you leave the country.

You can walk right into Mexico at the Tijuana crossing and nobody on either side asked me for anything.

Now, getting back IN to the US is another story.

[Art_from_Ark]

22. If you're traveling anywhere overseas by plane, you damn well better have a passport

You won't be admitted to any country that I know of if you don't have a valid passport. And you can't leave some countries if you don't have a passport.

[jberryhill]

23. By air

The point is that the US doesn't check your passport on the way out, like other countries. Yes, entry is controlled at airports. But since you are familiar with exit procedures just about anywhere else, you know we do nothing like it (it's the ones with the departure tax that are really irritating)

[Art_from_Ark]

25. So your options come down to crossing into Mexico or Canada with a driver's license

if you don't have a passport. On edit: To enter Canada, you would need something like a driver's license plus proof of citizenship like a birth certificate.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/security-securite/admiss-eng.html

At any rate, staying in those countries is a different matter.

And sometimes the US does spot checks at airports. I was waiting in Dallas for a flight to Tokyo once, by the boarding gate, when an immigration agent approached me and asked to see my passport. He also asked me if I had more than $10,000 with me (I didn't).

[hlthe2b]

11. What if your work requires out of country travel. What if you work for the government?

You can't tell me there are no government employees that owe back taxes....?

Take away their livelihood so they can never get caught up?

[Better Believe It]

31. You're SOL

[greiner3]

7. I think this law would be useless;

That I know of, passports are checked when a person is leaving their own country but only when they are returning from a trip abroad.

Would this mean someone who owes taxes would be prohibited from entering the US?

[Richard D]

12. They are checked when you leave.

At least if you leave via air travel.

[jberryhill]

15. By the airline

To make sure you have one for entry at the other end.

But you don't have to produce one to DHS in order to leave.

[Richard D]

17. I wonder . . .

if the airline would let a person leave without one.

[jberryhill]

24. No

They get fined for that, and have to eat the cost of flying the person back.

[Live and Learn]

8. What if states decide to do the same?

I know it isn't possible currently but could they attempt to devise plans to keep people from leaving the state if state taxes weren't paid?

Really bad legislation.

[JoeyT]

20. It wouldn't be hard for them.

Just replace "Passport" with "Driver's license" and good luck getting anywhere. You could get someone else to drive you out, but you wouldn't be able to get a job or place to live once you got there.

[geek tragedy]

21. States don't have immigration authority.

They can just throw the tax cheat in jail, however.

[woo me with science]

9. We used to need ways to keep people out...

This is chilling.

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. some folks flee US to escape student loans, bet that's the next group they'll go after

[cthulu2016]

18. East Germany

[2ndAmForComputers]

26. Democrats came up with this idea? Am I reading this right?

Please tell me this is an amendment sneaked in by some Republican.

[woo me with science]

33. Surprise! The assault is bipartisan! nt

[stevenleser]

27. Panama does this. I think a number of other countries do too.

That said, I always thought that doing this was horrible. Watching Panamanians go through the security checkpoint at the airport to leave and knowing their tax status was being checked seemed over the top.

I guess the fear is that a wealthy person is going to make a lot of money one year, pay no taxes and then leave. Of course, this means that if you travel for work, and make a mistake on your taxes and have to work something out with the IRS, you could end up losing your job for lack of being able to travel.