Owe $50,000 or more to IRS, lose your American passport
There is pending legislation in the U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives, effective 01-01-2016, wherein the State Department would block Americans from receiving passports if owing more than $50,000 to the IRS.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL on November 21, 2015, published an aritcle by Laura Saunders, titled: "Nix Taxes, Lose Passport".
As with any pending legislation, the final provisions are not yet know.
The bottom line for 2016 for U.S. citizens owing more than $50,000, their current passports could be revoked, or new passports could be denied.