XML 52 R53.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Income Taxes (Details 1) (USD $)
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 27, 2014
Jun. 28, 2014
Mar. 29, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 28, 2013
Jun. 29, 2013
Mar. 30, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Line Items]                      
Effective income tax rate                 12.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 8.20%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 5.40%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Percentage point change in effective tax rate relating to infrequent income tax items                   (6.9)wat_PercentagePointChangeInEffectiveTaxRateRelatingToInfrequentIncomeTaxItems (8.6)wat_PercentagePointChangeInEffectiveTaxRateRelatingToInfrequentIncomeTaxItems
Income Taxes [Abstract]                      
Excess tax benefit related to stock option plans                 $ 15,703,000us-gaap_ExcessTaxBenefitFromShareBasedCompensationFinancingActivities $ 15,842,000us-gaap_ExcessTaxBenefitFromShareBasedCompensationFinancingActivities $ 10,568,000us-gaap_ExcessTaxBenefitFromShareBasedCompensationFinancingActivities
Unremitted earnings of foreign subsidiaries (3,000,000,000)us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries               (3,000,000,000)us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries    
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items]                      
Income from operations before income taxes 164,473,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest 131,413,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest 112,124,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest 82,730,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest 169,325,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest 112,657,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest 104,716,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest 103,407,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest 490,740,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest 490,105,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest 487,625,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
Current income tax expense (benefit)                 57,537,000us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 39,933,000us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 78,401,000us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)                 1,583,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 169,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (52,219,000)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Federal income tax expense (benefit)                 23,071,000us-gaap_FederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations (702,000)us-gaap_FederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations 39,840,000us-gaap_FederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations
State income tax expense (benefit)                 3,791,000us-gaap_StateAndLocalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations 5,142,000us-gaap_StateAndLocalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations 5,599,000us-gaap_StateAndLocalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations
Foreign income tax expense (benefit)                 32,258,000us-gaap_ForeignIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations 35,662,000us-gaap_ForeignIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations (19,257,000)us-gaap_ForeignIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations
Federal tax computed at U.S. statutory income tax rate                 171,759,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 171,537,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 170,669,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Settlement of tax audits               (30,552,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements   (30,552,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements (6,035,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements
State income tax, net of federal income tax benefit                 2,464,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes 3,342,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes 3,639,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes
Net effect of foreign operations                 (109,240,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential (96,461,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential (102,858,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential
Recognition of deferred tax asset associated with non-U.S. net operating loss                     (36,410,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Other income tax reconciliation adjustments                 (5,863,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments (7,764,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments (2,823,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments
Provision for income taxes 13,181,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 17,916,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 15,595,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 12,428,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 27,743,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 14,609,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 15,402,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (17,652,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 59,120,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 40,102,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 26,182,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Related to Fiscal Year 2012 [Member]                      
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items]                      
R&D Tax Credit               3,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCreditsResearch
/ wat_NatureOfTaxProvisionAxis
= wat_RelatedToFiscalYear2012Member		   3,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCreditsResearch
/ wat_NatureOfTaxProvisionAxis
= wat_RelatedToFiscalYear2012Member		  
Domestic                      
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items]                      
Income from operations before income taxes                 70,136,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember		 116,067,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember		 116,071,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
Marginal effective income tax rate                 37.50%wat_MarginalEffectiveIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember		    
Foreign                      
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items]                      
Income from operations before income taxes                 $ 420,604,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember		 $ 374,038,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember		 $ 371,554,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
Ireland [Member]                      
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items]                      
Marginal effective income tax rate                 12.50%wat_MarginalEffectiveIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= wat_IrelandMember		    
United Kingdom [Member]                      
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items]                      
Marginal effective income tax rate                 21.50%wat_MarginalEffectiveIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= wat_UnitedKingdomMember		    
Singapore [Member]                      
Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Line Items]                      
Marginal effective income tax rate                 0.00%wat_MarginalEffectiveIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= wat_SingaporeMember		    
Statutory tax rate                 17.00%wat_StatutoryTaxRate
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= wat_SingaporeMember