IRS CP508C Notice: Passport Certification — Seriously Delinquent Debt
A CP508C notice means the IRS certified your tax debt as 'seriously delinquent' (over ~$62,000 with a lien or levy in place) to the State Department, which can now deny your passport application or renewal — and in some cases revoke it.
What a CP508C actually means
Certification happens when a large assessed debt has passed through lien/levy stages with no resolution. The State Department then blocks passport issuance and renewal until the IRS reverses the certification.
Reversal is formulaic: enter an installment agreement, an accepted Offer in Compromise, or hardship status — or pay below the threshold — and the IRS must decertify (typically within 30 days), with expedited handling possible for imminent travel.
What to do, step by step
- 1Don't wait for a trip to force the issue — decertification takes weeks even when expedited.
- 2Verify the balance and confirm you're actually certified (your IRS online account shows it).
- 3Enter a qualifying resolution: installment agreement, Offer in Compromise, or Currently Not Collectible status.
- 4Once resolved, the IRS sends CP508R (reversal) to the State Department — ask for expedited decertification if you have imminent international travel.
Common questions
Can the IRS really take my passport?+
The IRS doesn't take it — it certifies the debt to the State Department, which denies new passports/renewals and can revoke existing ones. A qualifying payment arrangement reverses the certification.
How fast can I get decertified if I have a trip coming?+
Entering an installment agreement or other resolution triggers reversal, normally within 30 days; the IRS can expedite (roughly 14–21 days) with proof of imminent travel.
Received a CP508C? Get it handled.
Talk to a tax specialist about your notice — free, no pressure, no judgment.