Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2012
Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Tax Autodesk’s effective tax rate was 19% and 18% during the three months ended April 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Autodesk’s effective tax rate increased during the three months ended April 30, 2012 as compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year primarily due to lower tax benefits in fiscal 2013 from foreign earnings taxed at lower rates, expiration of the federal research credit and increased non-deductible stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by discrete tax benefits from closure of statute of limitations during the first quarter of fiscal 2013. Excluding the impact of discrete tax benefits of $6.3 million primarily associated with tax benefits from stock-based compensation and closure of a foreign statute of limitations in the three months ended April 30, 2012, the effective tax rate for the three months ended April 30, 2012 was 26% and was lower than the Federal statutory tax rate of 35% primarily due to foreign income taxed at lower rates partially offset by the impact of non-deductible stock-based compensation expense. As of April 30, 2012, the Company had $203.2 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest, of which approximately $189.8 million represents the amount of unrecognized tax benefits that would impact the effective tax rate, if recognized. It is possible that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits will change in the next twelve months; however, an estimate of the range of the possible change cannot be made at this time. At April 30, 2012, Autodesk had net deferred tax assets of $168.0 million. The Company believes that it will generate sufficient future taxable income in appropriate tax jurisdictions to realize these assets.

Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2012

Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]

Income Tax

Autodesk’s effective tax rate was 19% and 18% during the three months ended April 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Autodesk’s effective tax rate increased during the three months ended April 30, 2012 as compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year primarily due to lower tax benefits in fiscal 2013 from foreign earnings taxed at lower rates, expiration of the federal research credit and increased non-deductible stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by discrete tax benefits from closure of statute of limitations during the first quarter of fiscal 2013. Excluding the impact of discrete tax benefits of $6.3 million primarily associated with tax benefits from stock-based compensation and closure of a foreign statute of limitations in the three months ended April 30, 2012, the effective tax rate for the three months ended April 30, 2012 was 26% and was lower than the Federal statutory tax rate of 35% primarily due to foreign income taxed at lower rates partially offset by the impact of non-deductible stock-based compensation expense.

As of April 30, 2012, the Company had $203.2 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest, of which approximately $189.8 million represents the amount of unrecognized tax benefits that would impact the effective tax rate, if recognized. It is possible that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits will change in the next twelve months; however, an estimate of the range of the possible change cannot be made at this time.

At April 30, 2012, Autodesk had net deferred tax assets of $168.0 million. The Company believes that it will generate sufficient future taxable income in appropriate tax jurisdictions to realize these assets.