Commercial property owners in Boston claim they’re getting hit with a “hidden penalty” after filing abatements with the city, by way of assessed value being added to their buildings that’s leading to significant spikes in their property taxes.

Daniel Swift, a principal at the global tax consulting firm Ryan that represents a number of commercial property owners in Boston, crunched the numbers after hearing of the situation from his clients and found the startling trend, which comes at a time of downturn for the city’s commercial real estate market.

“It’s very unusual,” Swift told the Herald. “I’ve never seen it anywhere else in Massachusetts. I hadn’t seen it in Boston up until fiscal ‘24. They’re now penalizing you for filing an appeal on your subsequent year’s assessment.”

While prope

See Full Page