XML 92 R80.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.5.0.2

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 9 Months Ended
--- | ---
Sep. 30, 2016 | Sep. 30, 2011
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items] |  |
Income Tax Examination, Penalties and Interest Accrued | $ 3,650,000 |
NOL allocated amount | $ 4,110,272 |
Operating tax carryforward expiration year start | 2029 |
Operating tax carryforward expiration year end | 2032 |
AFG [Member] |  |
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items] |  |
Percentage Of Notional Federal Tax Liability |  | 50.00%
U. S. Federal Net Operating Tax [Member] |  |
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items] |  |
NOL allocated amount | $ 4,021,786 |
Capital Loss Carryforward [Member] | United States [Member] |  |
Tax Credit Carryforward [Line Items] |  |
NOL allocated amount | $ 88,486 |

X
- Definition Operating tax carryforward expiration year end. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ambc_OperatingTaxCarryforwardExpirationYearEnd
Namespace Prefix: | ambc_
Data Type: | xbrli:gYearItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Operating tax carryforward expiration year start. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ambc_OperatingTaxCarryforwardExpirationYearStart
Namespace Prefix: | ambc_
Data Type: | xbrli:gYearItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Percentage Of Notional Federal Tax Liability + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ambc_PercentageOfNotionalFederalTaxLiability
Namespace Prefix: | ambc_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount of estimated penalties and interest accrued as of the balance sheet date arising from income tax examinations. + 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 (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of operating loss carryforward, before tax effects, available to reduce future taxable income under enacted tax laws. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32559-109319 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=ambc_AfgMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis=us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis=us-gaap_CapitalLossCarryforwardMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis=country_US
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |