INCOME TAXES	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES Income tax expense consists of U.S. and international income taxes, determined using an estimate of the Company's annual effective tax rate, which is based upon the applicable tax rates and tax laws of the countries in which the income is generated. A deferred tax liability is recognized for all taxable temporary differences, and a deferred tax asset is recognized for all deductible temporary differences and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. The Company considers many factors when assessing the likelihood of future realization of the deferred tax assets, including its recent cumulative earnings experience by taxing jurisdiction, expectations of future income, tax planning strategies, the carryforward periods available for tax reporting purposes, and other relevant factors. The Company's effective tax rate for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 was 16.6% and 15.5%, respectively, compared to 16.2% and 17.2% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively. The 2017 effective tax rate differs from the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 35%, primarily due to lower international tax rates and current year excess tax benefits of $2.7 million and $12.6 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, recognized from the vesting of equity awards pursuant to the adoption of an accounting update effective January 1, 2017 (see Note 1), partially offset by certain non-deductible expenses. The 2016 effective tax rate differs from the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 35%, primarily due to lower international tax rates, partially offset by the tax rate impact of non-deductible impairments of a cost-method investment of approximately $10 million and $60 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively (see Note 4). The Company's effective tax rate was higher for the three months ended June 30, 2017, compared to the three months ended June 30, 2016, primarily because the Company recorded a state tax benefit in the three months ended June 30, 2016 related to U.S. state tax law changes that resulted in a decrease to deferred tax liabilities associated with acquired intangible assets. The benefit was partially offset by a non-deductible impairment of a cost-method investment recognized in the second quarter of 2016. The Company's effective tax rate was lower for the six months ended June 30, 2017, compared to the six months ended June 30, 2016, primarily as a result of an increased proportion of the Company's income being taxed at lower international tax rates due to the growth of the Company's international businesses and current year excess tax benefits recognized from vesting of equity awards. In addition, non-deductible impairments of a cost-method investment recognized in the first and second quarters of 2016 contributed to a higher effective tax rate for the six months ended June 30, 2016. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, a substantial majority of the Company's income was generated in the Netherlands. According to Dutch corporate income tax law, income generated from qualifying innovative activities is taxed at a rate of 5% ("Innovation Box Tax") rather than the Dutch statutory rate of 25%. A portion of Booking.com's earnings during the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 qualifies for Innovation Box Tax treatment, which had a significant beneficial impact on the Company's effective tax rate for those periods.

INCOME TAXES

Income tax expense consists of U.S. and international income taxes, determined using an estimate of the Company's annual effective tax rate, which is based upon the applicable tax rates and tax laws of the countries in which the income is generated. A deferred tax liability is recognized for all taxable temporary differences, and a deferred tax asset is recognized for all deductible temporary differences and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. The Company considers many factors when assessing the likelihood of future realization of the deferred tax assets, including its recent cumulative earnings experience by taxing jurisdiction, expectations of future income, tax planning strategies, the carryforward periods available for tax reporting purposes, and other relevant factors.

The Company's effective tax rate for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 was 16.6% and 15.5%, respectively, compared to 16.2% and 17.2% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively. The 2017 effective tax rate differs from the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 35%, primarily due to lower international tax rates and current year excess tax benefits of $2.7 million and $12.6 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, recognized from the vesting of equity awards pursuant to the adoption of an accounting update effective January 1, 2017 (see Note 1), partially offset by certain non-deductible expenses. The 2016 effective tax rate differs from the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 35%, primarily due to lower international tax rates, partially offset by the tax rate impact of non-deductible impairments of a cost-method investment of approximately $10 million and $60 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively (see Note 4).

The Company's effective tax rate was higher for the three months ended June 30, 2017, compared to the three months ended June 30, 2016, primarily because the Company recorded a state tax benefit in the three months ended June 30, 2016 related to U.S. state tax law changes that resulted in a decrease to deferred tax liabilities associated with acquired intangible assets. The benefit was partially offset by a non-deductible impairment of a cost-method investment recognized in the second quarter of 2016.

The Company's effective tax rate was lower for the six months ended June 30, 2017, compared to the six months ended June 30, 2016, primarily as a result of an increased proportion of the Company's income being taxed at lower international tax rates due to the growth of the Company's international businesses and current year excess tax benefits recognized from vesting of equity awards. In addition, non-deductible impairments of a cost-method investment recognized in the first and second quarters of 2016 contributed to a higher effective tax rate for the six months ended June 30, 2016.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, a substantial majority of the Company's income was generated in the Netherlands. According to Dutch corporate income tax law, income generated from qualifying innovative activities is taxed at a rate of 5% ("Innovation Box Tax") rather than the Dutch statutory rate of 25%. A portion of Booking.com's earnings during the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 qualifies for Innovation Box Tax treatment, which had a significant beneficial impact on the Company's effective tax rate for those periods.