v2.4.1.9
Income taxes (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]      
Undistributed earnings of PRC subsidiaries    $ 7,219,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries  
Withholding tax rate for dividends distributed by a foreign invested enterprise 10.00%sgoc_WithholdingIncomeTaxDividendDistribution    
Other tax expense 500,000us-gaap_OtherIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations 400,000us-gaap_OtherIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations 2,800,000us-gaap_OtherIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations
Other (26.00%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments [1] 1.70%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments [1] 11.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments [1]
Tax rate 34.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 34.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 34.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
SGOCO Fujian [Member]      
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]      
Income tax expense 877,000us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfPropertiesApplicableIncomeTaxes
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis
= sgoc_SgocoFujianMember		    
Enterprise Income Tax [Member]      
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]      
Tax rate 25.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= sgoc_EnterpriseIncomeTaxMember		    
Non-PRC Tax Resident Enterprise Income Tax [Member]      
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]      
Tax rate 10.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= sgoc_NonPRCTaxResidentEnterpriseIncomeTaxMember		    
SGOCO International [Member] | Hong Kong [Member]      
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]      
Net tax loss carry forwards 111,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= sgoc_SgocoInternationalMember		     
Tax rate 16.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= sgoc_SgocoInternationalMember		 16.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= sgoc_SgocoInternationalMember		 16.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= sgoc_SgocoInternationalMember
SGO [Member] | US [Member]      
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]      
Net tax loss carry forwards 599,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= sgoc_SgoMember		 531,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= sgoc_SgoMember		  
Net tax loss carry forwards, expiration date Dec. 31, 2030    
Tax rate 34.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= sgoc_SgoMember		    
PRC Entities [Member]      
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]      
Net tax loss carry forwards $ 2,091,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= sgoc_PRCEntitiesMember		 $ 1,137,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= sgoc_PRCEntitiesMember		  
Net tax loss carry forwards, expiration date Dec. 31, 2019    
[1] There were no other material items affecting the effective income tax for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 except for (i) the expense incurred by holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands where there is no tax. The other 15.8%, 1.7% and 11.0% for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 included losses incurred by SGOCO of approximately $0.5 million, $0.4 million and $2.8 million, respectively and (ii) under-provision of Hong Kong profits tax and as a result of certain non-deductible expenses in prior year.