Massachusetts Justices Back Boston Tax on Public Billboards (1)

Outfront Media LLC failed to convince the Massachusetts high court Monday to let it off the hook for nearly $200,000 in property taxes on 14 publicly owned billboards it manages in Boston.

The billboards are owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which is exempt from taxes unless its property is “leased, used, or occupied in connection with a business conducted for profit.” Outfront challenged the Boston Board of Assessors’ 2021 tax bill, arguing that managing the billboards under a publicly bid services contract doesn’t constitute use.

“Outfront is not just providing services to the MBTA, it is using the ...