The title compound, butyl 4-[(9-oxoxanthen-3-yl)carbonyloxy]benzoate, C25H20O6, has been obtained as a product of the intramolecular cyclization of 2-phenoxyterephthaloyl dichloride in the presence of butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate. The crystal and molecular structures are reported, The xanthone group is planar to within 0.084 (1) Angstrom. Molecules in the crystal are packed with planes of xanthone groups parallel to one another.