Revenue Impact The City of Baltimore imposes an excise tax on billboards, defined as outdoor advertising displays greater than 10 square feet that are not on the premises of the business, commodity, service, event or activity being advertised. This annual tax is imposed on the owner of the billboard at a rate of $15 per square foot for electronic billboards and $5 per square foot for all other billboards. If the City imposed a similar billboard excise tax on all billboards (in addition to the permit and inspection fees and personal property lease tax where applicable), it could generate an estimated $1.5 million annually. Legal Authority The City does not have the authority to tax the rental of real property or to tax services, except where specifically authorized by the State. As a result, a tax could not be imposed on billboards that are affixed to real property (such as the ground or a building) in a permanent or semi-permanent manner,1 nor