Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Costs Associated with Shareowner Activism [Policy Text Block]

Costs Associated with Shareowner Activism

During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company incurred $3.0 million of expense associated with activities related to a shareowner activist campaign, largely legal and advisory services. Due to the unusual and infrequent nature of these expenses in the Company's history, they have been separately classified in the Company's Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

Management's Responsibility to Evaluate Going Concern [Policy Text Block]

Management's Responsibility to Evaluate the Company's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern

In connection with the Company's adoption of ASU No. 2014-15 "Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern" on January 1, 2016, when preparing financial statements for each annual and interim reporting period, management now has the responsibility to evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. No such conditions or events were identified as of the issuance date of the financial statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Consolidation, policy

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements of the Company include all accounts of the Company, the Operating Partnership, and its consolidated subsidiaries, including The Taubman Company LLC (the Manager) and Taubman Asia. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated. The entities included in these consolidated financial statements are separate legal entities and maintain records and books of account separate from any other entity. However, inclusion of these separate entities in the consolidated financial statements does not mean that the assets and credit of each of these legal entities are available to satisfy the debts or other obligations of any other such legal entity included in the consolidated financial statements.

Investments in entities not controlled but over which the Company may exercise significant influence (Unconsolidated Joint Ventures or UJVs) are accounted for under the equity method. The Company has evaluated its investments in the Unconsolidated Joint Ventures under guidance for determining whether an entity is a variable interest entity and has concluded that the ventures are not variable interest entities. Accordingly, the Company accounts for its interests in these entities under general accounting standards for investments in real estate ventures (including guidance for determining effective control of a limited partnership or similar entity). The Company’s partners or other owners in these Unconsolidated Joint Ventures have substantive participating rights including approval rights over annual operating budgets, capital spending, financing, admission of new partners/members, or sale of the properties and the Company has concluded that the equity method of accounting is appropriate for these interests. Specifically, the Company’s 79% and 50.1% investments in Westfarms and International Plaza, respectively, are through general partnerships in which the other general partners have participating rights over annual operating budgets, capital spending, refinancing, or sale of the property. The Company provides its beneficial interest in certain financial information of its Unconsolidated Joint Ventures (Notes 5 and 8). This beneficial information is derived as the Company's ownership interest in the investee multiplied by the specific financial statement item being presented. Investors are cautioned that deriving the Company's beneficial interest in this manner may not accurately depict the legal and economic implications of holding a noncontrolling interest in the investee.

In 2016, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2015-02, "Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis." This standard amends certain guidance applicable to the consolidation of various legal entities, including variable interest entities (VIE). The Company evaluated the application of the ASU and concluded that no change was required to its accounting or reporting for any of its interests in less than wholly owned joint ventures. However, under the new guidance all of the Company’s consolidated joint ventures, including the Operating Partnership, now meet the definition and criteria as VIEs. The Company or an affiliate of the Company is the primary beneficiary of each VIE.

In determining the method of accounting for partially owned joint ventures, the Company evaluates the characteristics of associated entities and determines whether an entity is a VIE, and, if so, determines whether the Company is the primary beneficiary by analyzing whether the Company has both the power to direct the entity's significant economic activities and the obligation to absorb potentially significant losses or receive potentially significant benefits. Significant judgments and assumptions inherent in this analysis include the nature of the entity's operations, the entity's financing and capital structure, and contractual relationship and terms, including consideration of governance and decision making rights. The Company consolidates a VIE when it has determined that it is the primary beneficiary.

The Company’s sole significant asset is its investment in the Operating Partnership and, consequently, substantially all of the Company’s consolidated assets and liabilities are assets and liabilities of the Operating Partnership. All of the Company’s debt (Note 8) is an obligation of the Operating Partnership or its consolidated subsidiaries. Note 8 also provides disclosure of guarantees provided by the Operating Partnership to certain consolidated joint ventures. Note 9 provides additional disclosures of the carrying balance of the noncontrolling interests in its consolidated joint ventures and other information, including a description of certain rights of the noncontrolling owners.

Operating Partnership Ownership [Table Text Block]

The Operating Partnership

At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Operating Partnership’s equity included two classes of preferred equity (Series J and K Preferred Equity) and the net equity of the partnership unitholders (Note 14). Net income and distributions of the Operating Partnership are allocable first to the preferred equity interests, and the remaining amounts to the general and limited partners in the Operating Partnership in accordance with their percentage ownership. The Series J and K Preferred Equity are owned by the Company and are eliminated in consolidation.

The partnership equity of the Operating Partnership and the Company's ownership therein are shown below:



Year	TRG units outstanding at December 31	TRG units owned by TCO at December 31⁽¹⁾	TRG units owned by noncontrolling interests at December 31	TCO's % interest in TRG at December 31	TCO's average interest % in TRG
2016	85,476,892	60,430,613	25,046,279	71%	71%
2015	85,295,720	60,233,561	25,062,159	71	71
2014	88,459,859	63,324,409	25,135,450	72	72


(1)	There is a one-for-one relationship between TRG units owned by TCO and TCO common shares outstanding; amounts in this column are equal to TCO’s common shares outstanding as of the specified dates.

Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]

Organization and Basis of Presentation

General

Taubman Centers, Inc. (the Company or TCO) is a Michigan corporation that operates as a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). The Taubman Realty Group Limited Partnership (the Operating Partnership or TRG) is a majority-owned partnership subsidiary of TCO that owns direct or indirect interests in all of the Company’s real estate properties. In this report, the term "Company" refers to TCO, the Operating Partnership, and/or the Operating Partnership's subsidiaries as the context may require. The Company engages in the ownership, management, leasing, acquisition, disposition, development, and expansion of regional and super-regional retail shopping centers and interests therein. The Company’s owned portfolio as of December 31, 2016 included 23 urban and suburban shopping centers operating in 11 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and China.

Taubman Properties Asia LLC and its subsidiaries (Taubman Asia), which is the platform for the Company’s operations and developments in China and South Korea, is headquartered in Hong Kong.

Dollar amounts presented in tables within the notes to the financial statements are stated in thousands, except share data or as otherwise noted.

Consolidation

The Operating Partnership

The partnership equity of the Operating Partnership and the Company's ownership therein are shown below:



Year	TRG units outstanding at December 31	TRG units owned by TCO at December 31⁽¹⁾	TRG units owned by noncontrolling interests at December 31	TCO's % interest in TRG at December 31	TCO's average interest % in TRG
2016	85,476,892	60,430,613	25,046,279	71%	71%
2015	85,295,720	60,233,561	25,062,159	71	71
2014	88,459,859	63,324,409	25,135,450	72	72


(1)	There is a one-for-one relationship between TRG units owned by TCO and TCO common shares outstanding; amounts in this column are equal to TCO’s common shares outstanding as of the specified dates.

Outstanding voting securities of the Company at December 31, 2016 consisted of 25,029,059 shares of Series B Preferred Stock (Note 14) and 60,430,613 shares of common stock.

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Revenue Recognition

Shopping center space is generally leased to tenants under short and intermediate term leases that are accounted for as operating leases. Minimum rents are recognized on the straight-line method. Percentage rent is accrued when lessees' specified sales targets have been met. For traditional net leases, where tenants reimburse the landlord for an allocation of reimbursable costs incurred, the Company recognizes revenue in the period the applicable costs are chargeable to tenants. For tenants paying a fixed common area maintenance charge (which typically includes fixed increases over the lease term), the Company recognizes revenue on a straight-line basis over the lease terms. Management, leasing, and development revenue is recognized as services are rendered, when fees due are determinable, and collectibility is reasonably assured. Fees for management, leasing, and development services are established under contracts and are generally based on negotiated rates, percentages of cash receipts, and/or actual costs incurred. Fixed-fee development services contracts are generally accounted for under the percentage-of-completion method, using cost to cost measurements of progress. Profits on real estate sales are recognized whenever (1) a sale is consummated, (2) the buyer has demonstrated an adequate commitment to pay for the property, (3) the Company’s receivable is not subject to future subordination, and (4) the Company has transferred to the buyer the risks and rewards of ownership. Other revenues, including fees paid by tenants to terminate their leases, are recognized when fees due are determinable, no further actions or services are required to be performed by the Company, and collectibility is reasonably assured. Taxes assessed by government authorities on revenue-producing transactions, such as sales, use, and value-added taxes, are primarily accounted for on a net basis on the Company’s income statement. See Note 21 - New Accounting Pronouncements, for the Company's evaluation of the impact of ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue's from Contracts with Customers."

Receivables, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Notes

The Company records a provision for losses on accounts receivable to reduce them to the amount estimated to be collectible. The Company records a provision for losses on notes receivable to reduce them to the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loans’ effective interest rates or the fair value of the collateral if the loans are collateral dependent.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Depreciation and Amortization

Buildings, improvements, and equipment are primarily depreciated on straight-line bases over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which generally range from 3 to 50 years. Capital expenditures that are recoverable from tenants are generally depreciated over the estimated recovery period. Intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Tenant allowances are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the useful life of the leasehold improvements or the lease term. Deferred leasing costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the lives of the related leases. In the event of early termination of such leases, the unrecoverable net book values of the assets are recognized as depreciation and amortization expense in the period of termination.

Capitalization

Direct and indirect costs that are clearly related to the acquisition, development, construction, and improvement of properties are capitalized. Compensation costs are allocated based on actual time spent on a project. Costs incurred on real estate for ground leases, property taxes, insurance, and interest costs for qualifying assets are capitalized during periods in which activities necessary to get the property ready for its intended use are in progress.

The viability of all projects under construction or development, including those owned by Unconsolidated Joint Ventures, are regularly evaluated on an individual basis under the accounting for abandonment of assets or changes in use. To the extent a project, or individual components of the project, are no longer considered to have value, the related capitalized costs are charged against operations. Additionally, all properties are reviewed for impairment on an individual basis whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. Impairment of a shopping center owned by consolidated entities is recognized when the sum of expected cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) is less than the carrying value of the property. Other than temporary impairment of an investment in an Unconsolidated Joint Venture is recognized when the carrying value of the investment is not considered recoverable based on evaluation of the severity and duration of the decline in value, including the results of discounted cash flow and other valuation techniques. To the extent impairment has occurred, the excess carrying value of the asset over its estimated fair value is charged to income.

In the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company recognized an impairment charge on previously capitalized pre-development costs related to its enclosed regional mall project that was intended to be part of the Miami Worldcenter mixed-use, urban development in Miami, Florida (Note 5).

In leasing a shopping center space, the Company may provide funding to the lessee through a tenant allowance. In accounting for a tenant allowance, the Company determines whether the allowance represents funding for the construction of leasehold improvements and evaluates the ownership, for accounting purposes, of such improvements. If the Company is considered the owner of the leasehold improvements for accounting purposes, the Company capitalizes the amount of the tenant allowance and depreciates it over the shorter of the useful life of the leasehold improvements or the lease term. If the tenant allowance represents a payment for a purpose other than funding leasehold improvements, or in the event the Company is not considered the owner of the improvements for accounting purposes, the allowance is considered to be a lease incentive and is recognized over the lease term as a reduction of rental revenue. Factors considered during this evaluation usually include (1) who holds legal title to the improvements, (2) evidentiary requirements concerning the spending of the tenant allowance, and (3) other controlling rights provided by the lease agreement (e.g. unilateral control of the tenant space during the build-out process). Determination of the accounting for a tenant allowance is made on a case-by-case basis, considering the facts and circumstances of the individual tenant lease. Substantially all of the Company’s tenant allowances have been determined to be leasehold improvements.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents consist of highly liquid investments with a maturity of 90 days or less at the date of purchase. The Company deposits cash and cash equivalents with institutions with high credit quality. From time to time, cash and cash equivalents may be in excess of FDIC insurance limits. Substantially all cash equivalents at December 31, 2016 were not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency and were invested across three separate financial institutions as of December 31, 2016.

The Company is required to escrow cash balances for specific uses stipulated by certain of its lenders and other various agreements. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company’s cash balances restricted for these uses were $0.9 million and $6.4 million, respectively. Included in restricted cash is $0.7 million at December 31, 2016 on deposit in excess of the FDIC insured limit.

Business Combinations Policy [Policy Text Block]

Acquisitions

The Company recognizes the assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interests in the acquiree at their fair values as of the acquisition date. The cost of acquiring a controlling ownership interest or an additional ownership interest (if not already consolidated) is allocated to the tangible assets acquired (such as land and building) and to any identifiable intangible assets based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The fair value of a property is determined on an "as-if-vacant" basis. Management considers various factors in estimating the "as-if-vacant" value including an estimated lease up period, lost rents, and carrying costs. The identifiable intangible assets would include the estimated value of "in-place" leases, above and below market "in-place" leases, and tenant relationships. The portion of the purchase price that management determines should be allocated to identifiable intangible assets is amortized in depreciation and amortization or as an adjustment to rental revenue, as appropriate, over the estimated life of the associated intangible asset (for instance, the remaining life of the associated tenant lease). The Company records goodwill when the cost of an acquired entity exceeds the net of the amounts assigned to assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Costs related to the acquisition of a controlling interest, including due diligence costs, professional fees, and other costs to effect an acquisition, are expensed as incurred.

Deferred Charges, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Deferred Charges and Other Assets

Direct costs related to successful leasing activities are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the lives of the related leases. Cash expenditures for leasing costs are recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows as operating activities. Debt issuance costs incurred in connection with the Company's revolving lines of credit are deferred and amortized on a straight line basis, which approximates the effective interest method. All other deferred charges are amortized on a straight-line basis over the terms of the agreements to which they relate.

In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU No. 2015-03, "Imputation of Interest: Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs" which changed the presentation of debt issuance costs on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. In connection with the adoption of ASU No. 2015-03 on January 1, 2016, the Company retrospectively reclassified the December 31, 2015 Consolidated Balance Sheet to move $16.9 million of debt issuance costs out of Deferred Charges and Other Assets and into Notes Payable, Net as a direct deduction of the related debt liabilities. Prior to the reclassification, the Company reported $198.2 million and $2.644 billion within Deferred Charges and Other Assets and Notes Payable, respectively, on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2015. In accordance with ASU No. 2015-15, the Company retained its current methodology for recording and presenting debt issuance costs incurred in connection with its revolving lines of credit and will continue to recognize those costs as Deferred Charges and Other Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]

Share-Based Compensation Plans

The cost of share-based compensation is measured at the grant date, based on the calculated fair value of the award, and is recognized over the requisite employee service period which is generally the vesting period of the grant. The Company recognizes compensation costs for awards with graded vesting schedules on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for each separately vesting portion of the award as if the award was, in-substance, multiple awards. The Company recognizes compensation costs for awards with net operating income performance conditions based on the grant date fair value of the award that coincides with the expected outcome of the condition, as updated for actual results (see "Note 13 - Share-Based Compensation - Net Operating Income Performance Based TRG Profits Units").

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Income Taxes

The Company operates in such a manner as to qualify as a REIT under the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. To qualify as a REIT, the Company must distribute at least 90% of its REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gains, to its shareowners and meet certain other requirements. As a REIT, the Company is entitled to a dividends paid deduction for the dividends it pays to its shareowners. Therefore, the Company will generally not be subject to federal income taxes under current Federal income tax law as long as it currently distributes to its shareowners an amount equal to or in excess of its taxable income. REIT qualification reduces but does not eliminate the amount of state and local taxes paid by the Company. In addition, a REIT may be subject to certain excise taxes if it engages in certain activities.

No provision for federal income taxes for consolidated partnerships has been made; as such taxes are the responsibility of the individual partners under current Federal income tax law. There are certain state income taxes incurred which are provided for in the Company’s financial statements.

The Company has made Taxable REIT Subsidiary (TRS) elections for all of its corporate subsidiaries pursuant to section 856 (I) of the Internal Revenue Code. The TRSs are subject to corporate level income taxes, including federal, state, and certain foreign income taxes for foreign operations, which are provided for in the Company’s financial statements.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities reflect the impact of temporary differences between the amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the bases of such assets and liabilities as measured by tax laws. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance to the amount where realization is more likely than not assured after considering all available evidence, including expected taxable earnings. The Company’s temporary differences primarily relate to deferred compensation, depreciation, and net operating loss carryforwards.

Future changes to tax laws could affect the taxation of the REIT, partnerships and Taxable REIT subsidiaries, possibly having a significant impact on the current and deferred income taxes of the Company.

Derivatives, Methods of Accounting, Hedging Derivatives [Policy Text Block]

Interest Rate Hedging Agreements

All derivatives, whether designated in hedging relationships or not, are recorded on the balance sheet at fair value. If a derivative is designated as a cash flow hedge, the effective portions of changes in the fair value of the derivative are recorded in other comprehensive income (OCI) and are recognized in the income statement when the hedged item affects income. Ineffective portions of changes in the fair value of a cash flow hedge are recognized in the Company’s income generally as interest expense (Note 10).

The Company formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as its risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking various hedge transactions. The Company assesses, both at the inception of the hedge and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in the cash flows of the hedged items.

Noncontrolling Interests [Policy Text Block]

Noncontrolling Interests

Noncontrolling interests in the Company are comprised of the ownership interests of (1) noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership and (2) the noncontrolling interests in joint ventures controlled by the Company through ownership or contractual arrangements. Consolidated net income and comprehensive income includes amounts attributable to the Company and the noncontrolling interests. Transactions that change the Company's ownership interest in a subsidiary are accounted for as equity transactions if the Company retains its controlling financial interest in the subsidiary.

The Company evaluates whether noncontrolling interests are subject to any redemption features outside of the Company's control that would result in presentation outside of permanent equity pursuant to general accounting standards regarding the classification and measurement of redeemable equity instruments. Certain noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership and consolidated ventures of the Company qualify as redeemable noncontrolling interests (Note 9). To the extent such noncontrolling interests are currently redeemable or it is probable that they will eventually become redeemable, these interests are adjusted to the greater of their redemption value or their carrying value at each balance sheet date

Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]

Foreign Currency Translation

The Company has certain entities in Asia for which the functional currency is the local currency. The assets and liabilities of the entities are translated from their functional currency into U.S. Dollars at the rate of exchange in effect on the balance sheet date. Income statement accounts are generally translated using the average exchange rate for the period. Income statement amounts of significant transactions are translated at the rate in effect as of the date of the transaction. The Company's share of unrealized gains and losses resulting from the translation of the entities' financial statements are reflected in shareholders' equity as a component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet (Note 19).

Discontinued Operations, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates

Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block]

Segments and Related Disclosures

The Company has one reportable operating segment: it owns, develops, and manages regional shopping centers. The Company has aggregated its shopping centers into this one reportable segment, as the shopping centers share similar economic characteristics and other similarities. The shopping centers are located in major metropolitan areas, have similar tenants (most of which are global chains), are operated using consistent business strategies, and are expected to exhibit similar long-term financial performance. Net Operating Income (NOI) is often used by the Company's chief operating decision makers in assessing segment operating performance. NOI is believed to be a useful indicator of operating performance as it is customary in the real estate and shopping center business to evaluate the performance of properties on a basis unaffected by capital structure.

No single retail company represents 5% or more of the Company's revenues. The Company's consolidated revenues and assets do not have any material amounts derived from countries other than the United States, as the Company's investments in Asia are in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures that are accounted for under the equity method.