Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation	1. Description of Business and Basis of Presentation Business PTC Inc. was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. PTC is a global software and services company that delivers a technology platform and solutions to help companies design, manufacture, operate, and service things for a smart, connected world. Risks and Uncertainties - COVID-19 Pandemic In December 2019, the COVID-19 coronavirus surfaced. The virus has spread worldwide, including the United States, and has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global economic activity and has created macroeconomic uncertainty. We assessed certain accounting matters that generally require consideration of forecasted financial information in context with the information reasonably available to us and the unknown future impacts of COVID-19 as of September 30, 2020, and through the date of this report. The accounting matters assessed included, but were not limited to, our allowance for doubtful accounts, stock-based compensation, the carrying value of our goodwill and other long-lived assets, financial assets, valuation allowances for tax assets and revenue recognition. While there was not a material impact to our consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended September 30, 2020, resulting from our assessments, our future assessment of our current expectations at that time of the magnitude and duration of COVID-19, as well as other factors, could result in material impacts to our consolidated financial statements in future reporting periods. Basis of Presentation Our fiscal year-end is September 30. The consolidated financial statements include PTC Inc. (the parent company) and its wholly owned subsidiaries, including those operating outside the U.S. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. We prepare our financial statements under generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. that require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and the related disclosures. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Changes in Presentation and Reclassifications On October 1, 2019, we adopted ASU No. 2016-02, Leases: Topic 842 (ASC 842), which replaced the existing guidance in ASC 840, Leases. ASC 842 requires lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet. Upon the adoption of ASC 842 on October 1, 2019, we recognized an operating lease liability of $224.0 million and a right-of-use asset in the amount of $167.9 million. We adopted ASC 842 using a modified retrospective transition method in the period of adoption and did not recast prior periods. Since we adopted ASC 842 using the period of adoption transition method, we are not required to present 2020 comparative disclosures under ASC 842. However, we are required to present annual disclosures under the previous U.S. GAAP lease accounting standard (ASC 840). We also elected an accounting policy not to recognize leases with an initial term of one year or less on the balance sheet.

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

1. Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Business

PTC Inc. was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. PTC is a global software and services company that delivers a technology platform and solutions to help companies design, manufacture, operate, and service things for a smart, connected world.

Risks and Uncertainties - COVID-19 Pandemic

In December 2019, the COVID-19 coronavirus surfaced. The virus has spread worldwide, including the United States, and has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global economic activity and has created macroeconomic uncertainty.

We assessed certain accounting matters that generally require consideration of forecasted financial information in context with the information reasonably available to us and the unknown future impacts of COVID-19 as of September 30, 2020, and through the date of this report. The accounting matters assessed included, but were not limited to, our allowance for doubtful accounts, stock-based compensation, the carrying value of our goodwill and other long-lived assets, financial assets, valuation allowances for tax assets and revenue recognition. While there was not a material impact to our consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended September 30, 2020, resulting from our assessments, our future assessment of our current expectations at that time of the magnitude and duration of COVID-19, as well as other factors, could result in material impacts to our consolidated financial statements in future reporting periods.

Basis of Presentation

Our fiscal year-end is September 30. The consolidated financial statements include PTC Inc. (the parent company) and its wholly owned subsidiaries, including those operating outside the U.S. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements.

We prepare our financial statements under generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. that require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and the related disclosures. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Changes in Presentation and Reclassifications

On October 1, 2019, we adopted ASU No. 2016-02, Leases: Topic 842 (ASC 842), which replaced the existing guidance in ASC 840, Leases. ASC 842 requires lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet. Upon the adoption of ASC 842 on October 1, 2019, we recognized an operating lease liability of $224.0 million and a right-of-use asset in the amount of $167.9 million. We adopted ASC 842 using a modified retrospective transition method in the period of adoption and did not recast prior periods. Since we adopted ASC 842 using the period of adoption transition method, we are not required to present 2020 comparative disclosures under ASC 842. However, we are required to present annual disclosures under the previous U.S. GAAP lease accounting standard (ASC 840). We also elected an accounting policy not to recognize leases with an initial term of one year or less on the balance sheet.