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Taxes on Earnings (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Jun. 30, 2016 | Jun. 30, 2015 | Jun. 30, 2016 | Jun. 30, 2015
Taxes on Earnings |  |  |  |
Favorable resolution of various tax positions and other unusual provision items |  |  | $ 145 |
Net tax expense (benefits) | $ (19) | $ (4) | (266) | $ (5)
Tax cost related to the disposal of shares |  |  |  | 69
Non-cash impact of tax expense associated with the gain on the sale of businesses |  |  |  | 1,100
Minimum |  |  |  |
Taxes on Earnings |  |  |  |
Decrease reasonably possible in gross unrecognized tax benefits | 100 |  | 100 |
Maximum |  |  |  |
Taxes on Earnings |  |  |  |
Decrease reasonably possible in gross unrecognized tax benefits | 200 |  | 200 |
AbbVie |  |  |  |
Taxes on Earnings |  |  |  |
Net tax expense (benefits) | $ (19) | $ (4) | (263) | (17)
Discontinued operations |  |  |  |
Taxes on Earnings |  |  |  |
Non-cash impact of tax expense associated with the gain on the sale of businesses |  |  |  | 665
Discontinued operations | AbbVie |  |  |  |
Taxes on Earnings |  |  |  |
Decrease in gross unrecognized tax benefits |  |  | 444 | 35
Net tax expense (benefits) |  |  | $ 266 | $ 17

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- Definition Amount of decrease reasonably possible in the next twelve months for the unrecognized tax benefit. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph (d)(3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 + Details
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- Definition Amount of tax expense (benefit) related to a discontinued operation. Includes, but is not limited to, tax expense (benefit) related to income (loss) from operations during the phase-out period, tax expense (benefit) related to gain (loss) on disposal, tax expense (benefit) related to gain (loss) for reversal of write-down (write-down) to fair value, less cost to sell, and tax expense (benefit) related to adjustments of a prior period gain (loss) on disposal. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32672-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3B -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51716988&loc=SL51721525-107759 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51716988&loc=SL51721523-107759 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51717284&loc=d3e1361-107760 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5B -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51717284&loc=SL51721673-107760 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=18498875&loc=d3e38679-109324 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5C -Subparagraph (b)(2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51717284&loc=SL51721675-107760 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51716988&loc=d3e1012-107759 + Details
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