Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Sep. 26, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes (Text Block)	Income Taxes We file income tax returns with the IRS and in various U.S. states and foreign jurisdictions. On December 8, 2011 and January 23, 2012, the IRS issued Statutory Notices of Deficiency (the “Notices”) determining, respectively, additional taxes for 2002 through 2004 of $19.8 million and additional taxes for 2005 through 2007 of $21.4 million, excluding interest. The IRS’s determinations relate primarily to inter-company transactions, computational adjustments to the R&D credit and reductions to the benefits of tax credit carry backs and carry forwards. We deposited $18.0 million as a cash bond with the IRS in 2008, and converted this amount to tax payments in March 2012. On March 6, 2012 and April 20, 2012, we filed petitions challenging the Notices in the U.S. Tax Court. The petitions request redetermination of the deficiencies produced by the IRS’s adjustments. The IRS has filed responses to our petitions, in which the IRS conceded the R&D credit adjustment for 2004. The Tax Court has consolidated the two cases and a judge has been assigned. The federal statute of limitations for the 2002 and 2003 tax years has expired, and the ongoing Tax Court litigation concerns only the 2004 through 2007 years. On January 31, 2013, the IRS conceded one of the adjustments at issue in the litigation for the 2004 through 2007 tax years. The conceded adjustment related to certain inter-company services transactions. The concession only impacted our 2007 tax year. As a result of this concession, we recognized a tax and interest benefit of $6.8 million in 2013 due to the release of certain tax reserves. Altera and the IRS have filed cross motions for partial summary judgment on the largest adjustment still at issue, which is related to the treatment of stock-based compensation in an inter-company cost-sharing transaction. As part of the partial motion for summary judgment process, both sides filed briefs on May 28, 2013, July 25, 2013 and September 9, 2013. We expect to present additional legal arguments related to certain affirmative adjustments raised by Altera in the litigation. The parties have filed a series of Joint Status Reports with the court addressing these affirmative adjustments. The parties presented oral arguments on the partial summary judgment issue to the Tax Court on July 24, 2014. We believe we have made adequate tax payments or accrued adequate amounts for our tax liabilities for 2004 through 2007 and that the outcome of the above matters will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated operating results or financial position. On April 19, 2013, the IRS notified us that we would be audited for each of the 2010 and 2011 tax years. We believe we have made adequate tax payments or accrued adequate amounts for our tax liabilities for 2010 and 2011 and that the outcome of the audit will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated operating results or financial position. Other significant jurisdictions in which we are or may be subject to examination for fiscal years 2002 forward include China (including Hong Kong), Denmark, Ireland, Malaysia, Japan, Canada, United Kingdom and the state of California. We believe we have made adequate tax payments and/or accrued adequate amounts such that the outcome of these audits will have no material adverse effect on our consolidated operating results. Due to the potential resolution of various tax examinations, and the expiration of various statutes of limitations, it is possible that our gross unrecognized tax benefits may change within the next twelve months. However, given the number of years remaining subject to examination and the number of matters being examined, we are unable to estimate the full range of potential adjustments to the balance of gross unrecognized tax benefits. Our effective tax rate reflects the impact of a significant amount of our earnings being taxed in foreign jurisdictions at rates below the U.S. statutory tax rate. Our effective tax rate for the three months ended September 26, 2014 was 12.7% compared with 6.7% for the three months ended September 27, 2013. The increase in our effective tax rate was primarily due to lower one-time tax benefits in 2014 compared with the same period in 2013, and the expiration of the U.S. federal research and development tax credit for 2014. The U.S. federal research and development tax credit has not been extended beyond 2013. During the three months ended September 26, 2014, we reversed $2.9 million of liabilities and related interest for uncertain tax positions upon the expiration of foreign and domestic statutes of limitation, which was substantially offset by the change in proportionately lower earnings in foreign jurisdictions taxed at rates below the U.S. statutory tax rate. During the three months ended September 27, 2013, the U.S. federal research and development tax credit was reinstated, which had expired in 2011, and we reversed $30.3 million of liabilities and the related interest for uncertain tax positions upon the expiration of foreign and domestic statutes of limitation, which was substantially offset by $27.7 million of tax accrued on foreign dividends. Our effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 26, 2014 was 11.6%, compared with 4.4% for the nine months ended September 27, 2013. The net change in our effective tax rate was primarily due to lower one-time tax benefits in 2014 compared with the same period in 2013, and the expiration of the U.S. federal research and development tax credit for 2014. During the nine months ended September 26, 2014, we reversed $6.9 million of liabilities and the related interest for uncertain tax positions upon the expiration of a domestic and foreign statute of limitations, which was substantially offset by the change in proportionately lower earnings in foreign jurisdictions taxed at rates below the U.S. statutory tax rate. During the nine months ended September 27, 2013, we recognized a benefit of $10.6 million resulting from the enactment of the American Taxpayer Relief Act in January 2013, which extended the U.S. federal research and development tax credit through December 31, 2013. In addition, we reversed $6.8 million of liabilities for uncertain tax liabilities due to the IRS conceding an adjustment for certain 2007 inter-company transactions in our litigation regarding the 2004 through 2007 tax years, $2.3 million of liabilities for uncertain tax positions relating to changes in estimates for certain foreign tax jurisdictions, and $30.3 million of liabilities for uncertain tax positions upon the expiration of foreign and domestic statutes of limitation and the related interest, which was substantially offset by $27.7 million of tax accrued on foreign dividends. As of September 26, 2014, we had total gross unrecognized tax benefits of $330.5 million which, if recognized, would potentially impact our effective tax rate. On December 31, 2013, we had total gross unrecognized tax benefits of $301.3 million. We are unable to make a reasonable estimate as to if and when cash settlements with the relevant taxing authorities may occur. We recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in our income tax provision. We have accrued approximately $51.7 million and $48.8 million for the payment of interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as of September 26, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, we recorded a deferred charge for the deferral of income tax expense on intercompany profits that resulted from the sale of our newly acquired intellectual property rights from one of our U.S. subsidiaries to one of our foreign subsidiaries. The deferred charge is included in Other current assets and Other assets, net on our consolidated balance sheets. As of September 26, 2014, the deferred charge balance in Other current assets was $2.2 million, and $17.2 million in Other assets, net. The deferred charge will be amortized on a straight-line basis as a component of income tax expense over ten years, based on the economic life of the intellectual property and is not expected to have a material impact on our effective tax rate. In connection with one of our acquisitions in 2013, we are indemnified by the selling company for certain potential tax obligations arising prior to the acquisition. We have recognized a tax indemnification receivable of $6.5 million in Other assets, net in our consolidated balance sheets. We do not expect any significant effect on earnings or cash flows related to these potential tax obligations.

Income Taxes

We file income tax returns with the IRS and in various U.S. states and foreign jurisdictions. On December 8, 2011 and January 23, 2012, the IRS issued Statutory Notices of Deficiency (the “Notices”) determining, respectively, additional taxes for 2002 through 2004 of $19.8 million and additional taxes for 2005 through 2007 of $21.4 million, excluding interest. The IRS’s determinations relate primarily to inter-company transactions, computational adjustments to the R&D credit and reductions to the benefits of tax credit carry backs and carry forwards. We deposited $18.0 million as a cash bond with the IRS in 2008, and converted this amount to tax payments in March 2012. On March 6, 2012 and April 20, 2012, we filed petitions challenging the Notices in the U.S. Tax Court. The petitions request redetermination of the deficiencies produced by the IRS’s adjustments. The IRS has filed responses to our petitions, in which the IRS conceded the R&D credit adjustment for 2004. The Tax Court has consolidated the two cases and a judge has been assigned. The federal statute of limitations for the 2002 and 2003 tax years has expired, and the ongoing Tax Court litigation concerns only the 2004 through 2007 years.

On January 31, 2013, the IRS conceded one of the adjustments at issue in the litigation for the 2004 through 2007 tax years. The conceded adjustment related to certain inter-company services transactions. The concession only impacted our 2007 tax year. As a result of this concession, we recognized a tax and interest benefit of $6.8 million in 2013 due to the release of certain tax reserves. Altera and the IRS have filed cross motions for partial summary judgment on the largest adjustment still at issue, which is related to the treatment of stock-based compensation in an inter-company cost-sharing transaction. As part of the partial motion for summary judgment process, both sides filed briefs on May 28, 2013, July 25, 2013 and September 9, 2013. We expect to present additional legal arguments related to certain affirmative adjustments raised by Altera in the litigation. The parties have filed a series of Joint Status Reports with the court addressing these affirmative adjustments. The parties presented oral arguments on the partial summary judgment issue to the Tax Court on July 24, 2014. We believe we have made adequate tax payments or accrued adequate amounts for our tax liabilities for 2004 through 2007 and that the outcome of the above matters will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated operating results or financial position.

On April 19, 2013, the IRS notified us that we would be audited for each of the 2010 and 2011 tax years. We believe we have made adequate tax payments or accrued adequate amounts for our tax liabilities for 2010 and 2011 and that the outcome of the audit will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated operating results or financial position.

Other significant jurisdictions in which we are or may be subject to examination for fiscal years 2002 forward include China (including Hong Kong), Denmark, Ireland, Malaysia, Japan, Canada, United Kingdom and the state of California. We believe we have made adequate tax payments and/or accrued adequate amounts such that the outcome of these audits will have no material adverse effect on our consolidated operating results. Due to the potential resolution of various tax examinations, and the expiration of various statutes of limitations, it is possible that our gross unrecognized tax benefits may change within the next twelve months. However, given the number of years remaining subject to examination and the number of matters being examined, we are unable to estimate the full range of potential adjustments to the balance of gross unrecognized tax benefits.

Our effective tax rate reflects the impact of a significant amount of our earnings being taxed in foreign jurisdictions at rates below the U.S. statutory tax rate. Our effective tax rate for the three months ended September 26, 2014 was 12.7% compared with 6.7% for the three months ended September 27, 2013. The increase in our effective tax rate was primarily due to lower one-time tax benefits in 2014 compared with the same period in 2013, and the expiration of the U.S. federal research and development tax credit for 2014. The U.S. federal research and development tax credit has not been extended beyond 2013. During the three months ended September 26, 2014, we reversed $2.9 million of liabilities and related interest for uncertain tax positions upon the expiration of foreign and domestic statutes of limitation, which was substantially offset by the change in proportionately lower earnings in foreign jurisdictions taxed at rates below the U.S. statutory tax rate. During the three months ended September 27, 2013, the U.S. federal research and development tax credit was reinstated, which had expired in 2011, and we reversed $30.3 million of liabilities and the related interest for uncertain tax positions upon the expiration of foreign and domestic statutes of limitation, which was substantially offset by $27.7 million of tax accrued on foreign dividends.

Our effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 26, 2014 was 11.6%, compared with 4.4% for the nine months ended September 27, 2013. The net change in our effective tax rate was primarily due to lower one-time tax benefits in 2014 compared with the same period in 2013, and the expiration of the U.S. federal research and development tax credit for 2014. During the nine months ended September 26, 2014, we reversed $6.9 million of liabilities and the related interest for uncertain tax positions upon the expiration of a domestic and foreign statute of limitations, which was substantially offset by the change in proportionately lower earnings in foreign jurisdictions taxed at rates below the U.S. statutory tax rate. During the nine months ended September 27, 2013, we recognized a benefit of $10.6 million resulting from the enactment of the American Taxpayer Relief Act in January 2013, which extended the U.S. federal research and development tax credit through December 31, 2013. In addition, we reversed $6.8 million of liabilities for uncertain tax liabilities due to the IRS conceding an adjustment for certain 2007 inter-company transactions in our litigation regarding the 2004 through 2007 tax years, $2.3 million of liabilities for uncertain tax positions relating to changes in estimates for certain foreign tax jurisdictions, and $30.3 million of liabilities for uncertain tax positions upon the expiration of foreign and domestic statutes of limitation and the related interest, which was substantially offset by $27.7 million of tax accrued on foreign dividends.

As of September 26, 2014, we had total gross unrecognized tax benefits of $330.5 million which, if recognized, would potentially impact our effective tax rate. On December 31, 2013, we had total gross unrecognized tax benefits of $301.3 million. We are unable to make a reasonable estimate as to if and when cash settlements with the relevant taxing authorities may occur.

We recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in our income tax provision. We have accrued approximately $51.7 million and $48.8 million for the payment of interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as of September 26, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, we recorded a deferred charge for the deferral of income tax expense on intercompany profits that resulted from the sale of our newly acquired intellectual property rights from one of our U.S. subsidiaries to one of our foreign subsidiaries. The deferred charge is included in Other current assets and Other assets, net on our consolidated balance sheets. As of September 26, 2014, the deferred charge balance in Other current assets was $2.2 million, and $17.2 million in Other assets, net. The deferred charge will be amortized on a straight-line basis as a component of income tax expense over ten years, based on the economic life of the intellectual property and is not expected to have a material impact on our effective tax rate.

In connection with one of our acquisitions in 2013, we are indemnified by the selling company for certain potential tax obligations arising prior to the acquisition. We have recognized a tax indemnification receivable of $6.5 million in Other assets, net in our consolidated balance sheets. We do not expect any significant effect on earnings or cash flows related to these potential tax obligations.