Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes: On December 22, 2017, the U.S. Government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Reform Act”). The main provisions of the Tax Reform Act that impact Altria Group, Inc. include: (i) a reduction in the U.S. federal statutory corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018, and (ii) changes in the treatment of foreign-source income, commonly referred to as a modified territorial tax system. The transition to a modified territorial tax system required Altria Group, Inc. to record a deemed repatriation tax and an associated tax basis benefit in 2017. Substantially all of the deemed repatriation tax was related to Altria Group, Inc.’s share of AB InBev’s accumulated earnings. Dividends received from AB InBev beginning in 2017, to the extent that such dividends represent previously taxed income attributable to the deemed repatriation tax, result in an associated tax basis expense, which reverses the tax basis benefit recorded in 2017. The income tax rate of 23.2% for the three months ended March 31, 2018 decreased 9.8 percentage points from the three months ended March 31, 2017. This decrease was due primarily to a reduction in tax expense from the decrease in the U.S. federal statutory corporate income tax rate as a result of the Tax Reform Act. During the three months ended March 31, 2018, Altria Group, Inc. recorded $11 million of net tax benefits as an adjustment to the provisional estimates recorded in 2017 for the tax basis adjustment and the deemed repatriation tax attributable to the Tax Reform Act. Altria Group, Inc. may be required to adjust these provisional estimates based on (i) additional guidance related to, or interpretation of, the Tax Reform Act and associated tax laws and (ii) additional information to be received from AB InBev, including information regarding AB InBev’s accumulated earnings and associated taxes for the 2016 and 2017 tax years. This additional guidance and information could result in increases or decreases to the provisional estimates, which may be significant in relation to these estimates. Altria Group, Inc. will record any such adjustments in 2018. Altria Group, Inc. is subject to income taxation in many jurisdictions. Uncertain tax positions reflect the difference between tax positions taken or expected to be taken on income tax returns and the amounts recognized in the financial statements. Resolution of the related tax positions with the relevant tax authorities may take many years to complete, and such timing is not entirely within the control of Altria Group, Inc. At March 31, 2018, Altria Group, Inc.’s total unrecognized tax benefits were $68 million. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate at March 31, 2018 was $45 million, along with $23 million affecting deferred taxes. It is reasonably possible that within the next 12 months certain examinations will be resolved, which could result in a decrease in unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $16 million. At December 31, 2017, Altria Group, Inc.’s total unrecognized tax benefits were $66 million. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate at December 31, 2017 was $43 million, along with $23 million affecting deferred taxes.

Income Taxes:

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. Government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Reform Act”). The main provisions of the Tax Reform Act that impact Altria Group, Inc. include: (i) a reduction in the U.S. federal statutory corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018, and (ii) changes in the treatment of foreign-source income, commonly referred to as a modified territorial tax system. The transition to a modified territorial tax system required Altria Group, Inc. to record a deemed repatriation tax and an associated tax basis benefit in 2017. Substantially all of the deemed repatriation tax was related to Altria Group, Inc.’s share of AB InBev’s accumulated earnings. Dividends received from AB InBev beginning in 2017, to the extent that such dividends represent previously taxed income attributable to the deemed repatriation tax, result in an associated tax basis expense, which reverses the tax basis benefit recorded in 2017.

The income tax rate of 23.2% for the three months ended March 31, 2018 decreased 9.8 percentage points from the three months ended March 31, 2017. This decrease was due primarily to a reduction in tax expense from the decrease in the U.S. federal statutory corporate income tax rate as a result of the Tax Reform Act.

During the three months ended March 31, 2018, Altria Group, Inc. recorded $11 million of net tax benefits as an adjustment to the provisional estimates recorded in 2017 for the tax basis adjustment and the deemed repatriation tax attributable to the Tax Reform Act. Altria Group, Inc. may be required to adjust these provisional estimates based on (i) additional guidance related to, or interpretation of, the Tax Reform Act and associated tax laws and (ii) additional information to be received from AB InBev, including information regarding AB InBev’s accumulated earnings and associated taxes for the 2016 and 2017 tax years. This additional guidance and information could result in increases or decreases to the provisional estimates, which may be significant in relation to these estimates. Altria Group, Inc. will record any such adjustments in 2018.

Altria Group, Inc. is subject to income taxation in many jurisdictions. Uncertain tax positions reflect the difference between tax positions taken or expected to be taken on income tax returns and the amounts recognized in the financial statements. Resolution of the related tax positions with the relevant tax authorities may take many years to complete, and such timing is not entirely within the control of Altria Group, Inc. At March 31, 2018, Altria Group, Inc.’s total unrecognized tax benefits were $68 million. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate at March 31, 2018 was $45 million, along with $23 million affecting deferred taxes. It is reasonably possible that within the next 12 months certain examinations will be resolved, which could result in a decrease in unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $16 million. At December 31, 2017, Altria Group, Inc.’s total unrecognized tax benefits were $66 million. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate at December 31, 2017 was $43 million, along with $23 million affecting deferred taxes.