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Income Taxes (Details 2) (USD $)
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Components of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]      
Net operating loss carryforwards and credits deferred tax assets $ 102,810,000wat_DeferredTaxAssetsNetOperatingLossCarryforwardsAndCredits $ 116,567,000wat_DeferredTaxAssetsNetOperatingLossCarryforwardsAndCredits  
Depreciation deferred tax assets 11,979,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsPropertyPlantAndEquipment 7,163,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsPropertyPlantAndEquipment  
Stock-based compensation deferred tax assets 18,702,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefitsShareBasedCompensationCost 22,684,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefitsShareBasedCompensationCost  
Deferred compensation deferred tax assets 34,301,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefitsEmployeeCompensation 25,391,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefitsEmployeeCompensation  
Revaluation of equity method investments deferred tax assets 5,819,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsEquityMethodInvestments 3,832,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsEquityMethodInvestments  
Inventory deferred tax assets 4,104,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsInventory 3,651,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsInventory  
Accrued liabilities and reserves deferred tax assets 9,368,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccruals 23,268,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccruals  
Other deferred tax assets 18,097,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOther 15,289,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOther  
Total deferred tax assets 205,180,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross 217,845,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross  
Valuation allowance (82,550,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance (94,952,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance  
Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance 122,630,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet 122,893,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet  
Capitalized software deferred tax liabilities (16,253,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesDeferredExpenseCapitalizedSoftware (18,012,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesDeferredExpenseCapitalizedSoftware  
Amortization deferred tax liabilities (8,765,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGoodwillAndIntangibleAssetsIntangibleAssets (3,798,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGoodwillAndIntangibleAssetsIntangibleAssets  
Indefinite-lived intangibles deferred tax liabilities (18,094,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGoodwillAndIntangibleAssetsGoodwill (18,840,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGoodwillAndIntangibleAssetsGoodwill  
Total deferred tax liabilities (43,112,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilities (40,650,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilities  
Net deferred tax assets 79,518,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet 82,243,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet  
Net operating loss carryforwards and credits valuation allowance 78,000,000wat_DeferredTaxesValuationAllowanceNetOperatingLossCarryforwardsAndCredits    
Current net deferred tax assets 36,691,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetCurrent 31,423,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetCurrent  
Noncurrent net deferred tax assets 61,920,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetNoncurrent 69,466,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetNoncurrent  
Current net deferred tax liabilities (1,096,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesCurrent (579,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesCurrent  
Noncurrent net deferred tax liabilities (17,997,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesNoncurrent (18,067,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesNoncurrent  
Refinancing of inter-company debt [Member]      
Components of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]      
Net operating loss carryforwards and credits deferred tax assets     111,000,000wat_DeferredTaxAssetsNetOperatingLossCarryforwardsAndCredits
/ wat_DeferredTaxAssetByComponentAxis
= wat_RefinancingOfInterCompanyDebtMember
Valuation allowance     (75,000,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ wat_DeferredTaxAssetByComponentAxis
= wat_RefinancingOfInterCompanyDebtMember
Net operating losses and credits [Member]      
Components of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]      
Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance $ 25,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet
/ wat_DeferredTaxAssetByComponentAxis
= wat_NetOperatingLossesAndCreditsMember