XML 66 R49.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.19.2

Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Jul. 31, 2019 | Oct. 31, 2018 | Jul. 31, 2018 | Jan. 31, 2018 | Jul. 31, 2019 | Jul. 31, 2018 | Oct. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. statutory federal rate (percent) |  |  |  |  | 21.00% |  | 23.30%
Net discrete tax benefit from remeasurement of deferred taxes at new rate due to Tax Act |  |  |  | $ 28.7 |  | $ 21.5 |
One-time transition tax on deemed repatriation of indefinitely reinvested earnings |  |  |  | $ (7.0) |  |  |
Increase tax benefit from remeasurement of deferred taxes at new rate due to Tax Act |  | $ 29.6 |  |  |  |  |
Remeasurement of one-time transition tax on deemed repatriation of indefinitely reinvested earnings |  | $ (4.5) |  |  |  |  |
Effective income tax rate (percent) | 18.90% |  | 6.60% |  | 24.50% | (17.10%) |
Income tax (provision) benefit | $ (8.5) |  | $ (2.4) |  | $ (25.8) | $ 12.7 |
Discrete tax benefit from expiring statute of limitations | (2.0) |  | (4.2) |  | (2.0) | (4.1) |
Tax benefit from certain credits | $ (0.5) |  |  |  |  |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits, interest on income tax expense |  |  |  |  | 1.4 |  |
Decrease in tax credits, work opportunity tax credit |  |  |  |  | 1.3 | 1.5 |
Income tax benefit related to vesting of share-based compensation awards |  |  | $ (1.6) |  | $ (1.1) | (3.1) |
Tax deductions for energy efficient government buildings |  |  |  |  |  | $ (2.6) |

X
- Definition Effective Income Tax Reconciliation, Deduction Energy Efficient Government Buildings, Amount + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | abm_EffectiveIncomeTaxReconciliationDeductionEnergyEfficientGovernmentBuildingsAmount
Namespace Prefix: | abm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Increase (Decrease) in Tax Credits, Work Opportunity Tax Credit + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | abm_IncreaseDecreaseinTaxCreditsWorkOpportunityTaxCredit
Namespace Prefix: | abm_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Percentage of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)(2)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319 Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 13 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32698-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss). + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116825942&loc=d3e330036-122817 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319 Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 13 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32698-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of tax benefit for recognition of expense of award under share-based payment arrangement. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (h)(1)(i) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116856206&loc=d3e5070-113901 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 280 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 22 -Subparagraph (h) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115929826&loc=d3e8736-108599 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(h)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109238882&loc=d3e38679-109324 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to tax credits. Including, but not limited to, research credit, foreign tax credit, investment tax credit, and other tax credits. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 13 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32698-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxCredits
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of income tax expense (benefit) for remeasurement of deferred tax from change in tax rate pursuant to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32639-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_TaxCutsAndJobsActOf2017ChangeInTaxRateIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of reasonable estimate for income tax expense (benefit) for which accounting for tax effect for remeasurement of deferred tax from change in tax rate is incomplete pursuant to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2A -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 5.EE.Q2(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116825942&loc=SL116722634-122817 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_TaxCutsAndJobsActOf2017IncompleteAccountingChangeInTaxRateProvisionalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of reasonable estimate for income tax expense for which accounting for tax effect from transition tax on accumulated earnings of controlled foreign corporation deemed repatriated is incomplete pursuant to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2A -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 5.EE.Q2(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116825942&loc=SL116722634-122817 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_TaxCutsAndJobsActOf2017IncompleteAccountingTransitionTaxForAccumulatedForeignEarningsProvisionalIncomeTaxExpense
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of income tax expense (benefit) for measurement period adjustment from accounting for tax effect pursuant to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2A -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 5.EE.Q2(f)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116825942&loc=SL116722634-122817 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_TaxCutsAndJobsActOf2017MeasurementPeriodAdjustmentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of increase in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from tax positions that have been or will be taken in current period tax return. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15A -Subparagraph (a)(2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=SL6600010-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromCurrentPeriodTaxPositions
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of decrease in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from lapses of applicable statutes of limitations. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15A -Subparagraph (a)(4) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=SL6600010-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsReductionsResultingFromLapseOfApplicableStatuteOfLimitations
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration