XML 51 R29.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.3.0.15

Income Taxes (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2010
Income Tax [Abstract] |
Income tax expense |
| Year Ended December 31, | 2010 |  | 2009 |  | 2008
| (Dollars in thousands) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Current |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Federal | $ | 19,290 |  |  | $ | 69,942 |  |  | $ | 76,305 |
|  | State |  | (11,059 | ) |  |  | 648 |  |  |  | 10,089 |
| Deferred |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Federal |  | 57,759 |  |  |  | 41,884 |  |  |  | (49,428 | )
|  | State |  | 15,968 |  |  |  | 5,376 |  |  |  | (27,899 | )
|  |  | $ | 81,958 |  |  | $ | 117,850 |  |  | $ | 9,067 |
Income tax reconciliation |
Year Ended December 31, | 2010 |  | 2009 |  | 2008
|  | Amount |  | Rate |  | Amount |  | Rate |  | Amount |  | Rate
(Dollars in millions) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Statutory federal income tax expense and rate | $ | 84.4 |  |  | 35.0 | % |  | $ | 122.2 |  |  | 35.0 | % |  | $ | 24.4 |  |  | 35.0 | %
State income taxes, net of federal benefit |  | 5.0 |  |  | 2.1 |  |  |  | 0.1 |  |  | 0.1 |  |  |  | (10.5 | ) |  | (15.1 | )
Effect of noncontrolling interests |  | (4.6 | ) |  | (1.9 | ) |  |  | (4.8 | ) |  | (1.4 | ) |  |  | (4.5 | ) |  | (6.4 | )
Effect of gains (losses) on investments, |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| sales of assets and impairment of assets |  | — |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  |  | 1.3 |  |  | 1.8 |
Other differences, net |  | (2.8 | ) |  | (1.2 | ) |  |  | 0.4 |  |  | 0.1 |  |  |  | (1.6 | ) |  | (2.3 | )
Effective income tax expense and rate | $ | 82.0 |  |  | 34.0 | % |  | $ | 117.9 |  |  | 33.8 | % |  | $ | 9.1 |  |  | 13.0 | %
Temporary income tax differences |
| December 31, | 2010 |  | 2009
| (Dollars in thousands) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Noncurrent deferred tax assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Net operating loss ("NOL") carryforwards | $ | 33,724 |  |  | $ | 26,884 |
|  | Stock-based compensation |  | 17,204 |  |  |  | 15,526 |
|  | Other |  | 38,998 |  |  |  | 35,584 |
|  |  |  | 89,926 |  |  |  | 77,994 |
|  | Less valuation allowance |  | (28,252 | ) |  |  | (17,977 | )
|  | Total noncurrent deferred tax assets |  | 61,674 |  |  |  | 60,017 |
| Noncurrent deferred tax liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Licenses/intangibles |  | 246,599 |  |  |  | 221,754 |
|  | Property, plant and equipment |  | 323,334 |  |  |  | 288,094 |
|  | Partnership investments |  | 71,566 |  |  |  | 61,272 |
|  | Other |  | 3,619 |  |  |  | 4,217 |
|  | Total noncurrent deferred tax liabilities |  | 645,118 |  |  |  | 575,337 |
| Net noncurrent deferred income tax liability | $ | 583,444 |  |  | $ | 515,320 |
Income tax unrecognized benefits summary |
|  |  | 2010 |  | 2009 |  | 2008
| (Dollars in thousands) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Balance at January 1, | $ | 34,442 |  |  | $ | 27,786 |  |  | $ | 33,890 |
|  | Additions for tax positions of current year |  | 5,119 |  |  |  | 4,966 |  |  |  | 4,858 |
|  | Additions for tax positions of prior years |  | 550 |  |  |  | 3,114 |  |  |  | 692 |
|  | Reductions for tax positions of prior years |  | (1,560 | ) |  |  | (1,399 | ) |  |  | (5,320 | )
|  | Reductions for settlements of tax positions |  | (5,938 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | (3,177 | )
|  | Reductions for lapses in statutes of limitations |  | (66 | ) |  |  | (25 | ) |  |  | (3,157 | )
| Balance at December 31, | $ | 32,547 |  |  | $ | 34,442 |  |  | $ | 27,786 |

X
- Definition The disclosure required for tax positions taken in the tax returns filed or to be filed for which it is more likely than not that the tax position will not be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities (i.e., uncertain tax positions) and other types of income tax contingencies, including: (1) the policy on classification of interest and penalties; (2) a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits at the beginning and end of the period; the total amount(s) of: (3) unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate, and (4) interest and penalties recognized in each of the income statement and balance sheet; (5) for positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts unrecognized will significantly change within 12 months of the reporting date the: (i) nature of the uncertainty, (ii) nature of the event that could occur that would cause the change, and (iii) an estimate of the range of the reasonably possible change or a statement that an estimate of the range cannot be made; and (6) a description of tax years that remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 48 -Paragraph 21 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_SummaryOfIncomeTaxContingenciesTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap
Data Type: | us-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition A reconciliation of noncurrent deferred tax assets and noncurrent deferred tax liabilities by major asset or liability category. + Details
Name: | usm_ComponentsOfDeferredTaxAssetsAndLiabilitiesTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | usm
Data Type: | us-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition A summary that categorizes current and deferred into domestic income tax, state and local income tax, and foreign income tax. The sum of all components equal total income tax expense for the period. + Details
Name: | usm_ComponentsOfIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | usm
Data Type: | us-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition A reconciliation of income tax expense computed at the statutory rate to the reported income tax expense, and the statutory federal income tax expense rate to the effective income tax expense rate. + Details
Name: | usm_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | usm
Data Type: | us-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | usm_IncomeTaxAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | usm
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration