Income Tax	3 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax	Income Tax Autodesk’s effective tax rate was 12% during the three months ended April 30, 2015 compared to 21% during the three months ended April 30, 2014. Autodesk's effective tax rate decreased 9% during the three months ended April 30, 2015 as compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year primarily due to greater tax rate benefits from foreign earnings and state research credits, partially offset by tax rate detriments from accrual for uncertain tax positions and stock-based compensation expense. Excluding the impact of discrete tax items, the effective tax rate for the three months ended April 30, 2015 was 27%, 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 and accrual for uncertain tax positions. As of April 30, 2015, the Company had $248.4 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest, of which approximately $230.0 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, 2015, Autodesk had net deferred tax assets of $188.0 million. The Company believes that it will generate sufficient future taxable income in appropriate tax jurisdictions to realize these assets.

Income Tax

3 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2015

Autodesk’s effective tax rate was 12% during the three months ended April 30, 2015 compared to 21% during the three months ended April 30, 2014. Autodesk's effective tax rate decreased 9% during the three months ended April 30, 2015 as compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year primarily due to greater tax rate benefits from foreign earnings and state research credits, partially offset by tax rate detriments from accrual for uncertain tax positions and stock-based compensation expense. Excluding the impact of discrete tax items, the effective tax rate for the three months ended April 30, 2015 was 27%, 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 and accrual for uncertain tax positions.

As of April 30, 2015, the Company had $248.4 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest, of which approximately $230.0 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, 2015, Autodesk had net deferred tax assets of $188.0 million. The Company believes that it will generate sufficient future taxable income in appropriate tax jurisdictions to realize these assets.