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v2.4.1.9

Income Taxes - Significant Portions of Deferred Tax Liabilities and Deferred Tax Assets (Detail) (USD $) | Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Apr. 30, 2013
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Deferred tax liabilities: |  |  |
Insurance intangible | $ 493,822,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGoodwillAndIntangibleAssetsIntangibleAssets | $ 559,288,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGoodwillAndIntangibleAssetsIntangibleAssets |
Variable interest entities | 14,149,000 ambc_CurrentLiabilitiesVariableInterestEntity | 131,137,000 ambc_CurrentLiabilitiesVariableInterestEntity |
Investments | 138,072,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesInvestments | 168,653,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesInvestments |
Unearned premiums and credit fees | 104,589,000 ambc_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUnearnedPremiumRevenue | 38,826,000 ambc_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUnearnedPremiumRevenue |
Other | 33,835,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesOther | 2,221,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesOther |
Total deferred tax liabilities | 784,467,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilities | 900,125,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilities |
Deferred tax assets: |  |  |
Net operating loss and capital carryforward | 1,890,551,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards | 2,177,029,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards |
Loss reserves | 185,881,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccrualsLossReserves | 634,692,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccrualsLossReserves |
Compensation | 5,276,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefitsEmployeeCompensation | 8,724,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefitsEmployeeCompensation |
AMT Credits | 10,359,000 ambc_MaximumAlternativeMinimumTaxTollingPaymentCredit | 4,269,000 ambc_MaximumAlternativeMinimumTaxTollingPaymentCredit | 60,000,000 ambc_MaximumAlternativeMinimumTaxTollingPaymentCredit
Other | 9,539,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOther | 58,581,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOther |
Sub total deferred tax assets | 2,101,606,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross | 2,883,295,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross |
Valuation allowance | 1,319,218,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance | 1,985,369,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance |
Total deferred tax assets | 782,388,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet | 897,926,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet |
Net deferred tax asset (liability) | $ (2,079,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet | $ (2,199,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet |

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