Massachusetts General Laws Part I. Administration of the Government (Ch. 1-182) Ch. 59, § 42A

For the purpose of verifying that an owner of a pipeline or a telephone or telegraph company required to make a return under section 38A or section 41 has made a complete and accurate accounting of the property required to be returned, the commissioner shall have all the powers and remedies provided by said section 31A to assessors of cities and towns. If the commissioner reasonably believes, as a result of an examination of the books, papers, records and other data or otherwise, that taxable personal property for a fiscal year was not valued or was incorrectly valued, the commissioner may, not later than 3 years and 6 months after the date the return was due or 3 years and 6 months after the date the return was filed, whichever is later, certify an amended valuation to the owner of the pipeline or telephone or telegraph company and to the boards of assessors of the cities and towns wherein the property was subject to taxation for that year. Not later than 2 months after the date of the amended certification, the assessors shall assess and commit to the collector with their warrant for collection an additional tax to the owner of the pipeline or telephone or telegraph company. An owner or company aggrieved by the assessment of the additional tax may, within 1 month after the bill or notice of the additional assessment is first sent, appeal the valuation to the appellate tax board. The appeal shall name as appellees the commissioner and the board of assessors. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the hearing and appeal before the appellate tax board shall proceed in the same manner as an appeal of the valuations originally certified by the commissioner.