Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Basis of preparation	(a) Basis of preparation These interim financial statements of Shire plc and its subsidiaries (collectively “Shire” or the “Company”) and other financial information included in this Form 10-Q, are unaudited. They have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations for interim reporting. The balance sheet as at December 31, 2013 was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by US GAAP. These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year to December 31, 2013. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP have been condensed or omitted from these interim financial statements. However, these interim financial statements include all adjustments, which are, in the opinion of management, necessary to fairly state the results of the interim period and the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full year.
Use of estimates in consolidated financial statements	(b) Use of estimates in interim financial statements The preparation of interim financial statements, in conformity with US GAAP and SEC regulations, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates and assumptions are primarily made in relation to the valuation of intangible assets, sales deductions, income taxes (including provisions for uncertain tax positions and the realization of deferred tax assets), provisions for litigation and legal proceedings, contingent consideration receivable from product divestments and contingent consideration payable in respect of business combinations and asset purchases. If actual results differ from the Company's estimates, or to the extent these estimates are adjusted in future periods, the Company's results of operations could either benefit from, or be adversely affected by, any such change in estimate.
New accounting pronouncements	(c) New accounting pronouncements To be adopted in future periods Reporting discontinued operations and disclosures of disposals of components of an entity In April 2014 the Financial Accounting Standard Board (“FASB”) issued guidance on the reporting of discontinued operations and disclosures of disposals of components of an entity. The amendments in this update revise the definition of discontinued operations by limiting discontinued operations reporting to disposals of components of an entity that represent strategic shifts that have (or will have) a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results. The guidance requires expanded disclosures for discontinued operations which provide users of financial statements with more information about the assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses of discontinued operations. The guidance also requires an entity to disclose the pre-tax profit or loss of an individually significant component of an entity that does not qualify for discontinued operations reporting. The guidance will be effective for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) of components of an entity that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted, but only for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issuance. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material effect on its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Revenue from Contracts with Customers In May 2014 the FASB and the International Accounting Standard Board (together as the “Accounting Standard Boards”) issued a new accounting standard that is intended to clarify and converge the financial reporting requirements for revenue from contracts with customers. The core principle of the standard is that an “entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services”. To achieve that core principle the Accounting Standard Boards developed a five-step model (as presented below) and related application guidance, which will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in US GAAP. Five-step model: Step 1: Identify the contract(s) with a customer. Step 2: Identify the performance obligations in the contract. Step 3: Determine the transaction price. Step 4: Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract. Step 5: Recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The Accounting Standard Boards also issued new qualitative and quantitative disclosure requirements as part of the new accounting standard which aims to enable financial statement users to understand the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance. Elimination of Certain Financial Reporting Requirements, Including an Amendment to Variable Interest Entities Guidance in Topic 810, Consolidation In June 2014 the FASB issued guidance on the reporting requirements for development stage entities. The amendments in this update simplify the existing guidance by removing all incremental financial reporting requirements for development stage entities. The amendments also eliminate an exception provided to development stage entities in Topic 810, Consolidation, for determining whether an entity is a variable interest entity on the basis of the amount of equity that is at risk. The elimination of the exception may change the consolidation analysis, consolidation decision, and disclosure requirements for a reporting entity that has an interest in an entity in the development stage. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods therein. The guidance to eliminate the exception to the sufficiency-of-equity-at-risk criterion for development stage entities should be applied retrospectively for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods therein. Early application of each of the amendments is permitted for any annual reporting period or interim period for which the entity's financial statements have not yet been issued. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance. Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern In August 2014 the FASB issued guidance about management's responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. An entity's management should evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued (or within one year after the date that the financial statements are available to be issued when applicable). Management's evaluation should be based on relevant conditions and events that are known and reasonably knowable at the date that the financial statements are issued (or available to be issued). Substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern exists when relevant conditions and events, considered in the aggregate, indicate that it is probable that the entity will be unable to meet its obligations as they become due within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued (or available to be issued). The term probable is used consistently with its use in topic 450, Contingencies. The amendments in this update are effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material effect on its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

(a) Basis of preparation

These interim financial statements of Shire plc and its subsidiaries (collectively “Shire” or the “Company”) and other financial information included in this Form 10-Q, are unaudited. They have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations for interim reporting.

The balance sheet as at December 31, 2013 was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by US GAAP.

These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year to December 31, 2013.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP have been condensed or omitted from these interim financial statements. However, these interim financial statements include all adjustments, which are, in the opinion of management, necessary to fairly state the results of the interim period and the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full year.

Use of estimates in consolidated financial statements

(b) Use of estimates in interim financial statements

The preparation of interim financial statements, in conformity with US GAAP and SEC regulations, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates and assumptions are primarily made in relation to the valuation of intangible assets, sales deductions, income taxes (including provisions for uncertain tax positions and the realization of deferred tax assets), provisions for litigation and legal proceedings, contingent consideration receivable from product divestments and contingent consideration payable in respect of business combinations and asset purchases. If actual results differ from the Company's estimates, or to the extent these estimates are adjusted in future periods, the Company's results of operations could either benefit from, or be adversely affected by, any such change in estimate.

New accounting pronouncements

To be adopted in future periods

Reporting discontinued operations and disclosures of disposals of components of an entity

In April 2014 the Financial Accounting Standard Board (“FASB”) issued guidance on the reporting of discontinued operations and disclosures of disposals of components of an entity. The amendments in this update revise the definition of discontinued operations by limiting discontinued operations reporting to disposals of components of an entity that represent strategic shifts that have (or will have) a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results. The guidance requires expanded disclosures for discontinued operations which provide users of financial statements with more information about the assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses of discontinued operations. The guidance also requires an entity to disclose the pre-tax profit or loss of an individually significant component of an entity that does not qualify for discontinued operations reporting.

The guidance will be effective for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) of components of an entity that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted, but only for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issuance. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material effect on its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

In May 2014 the FASB and the International Accounting Standard Board (together as the “Accounting Standard Boards”) issued a new accounting standard that is intended to clarify and converge the financial reporting requirements for revenue from contracts with customers. The core principle of the standard is that an “entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services”. To achieve that core principle the Accounting Standard Boards developed a five-step model (as presented below) and related application guidance, which will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in US GAAP.

Five-step model:

Step 1: Identify the contract(s) with a customer.

Step 2: Identify the performance obligations in the contract.

Step 3: Determine the transaction price.

Step 4: Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract.

Step 5: Recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation.

The Accounting Standard Boards also issued new qualitative and quantitative disclosure requirements as part of the new accounting standard which aims to enable financial statement users to understand the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance.

Elimination of Certain Financial Reporting Requirements, Including an Amendment to Variable Interest Entities Guidance in Topic 810, Consolidation

In June 2014 the FASB issued guidance on the reporting requirements for development stage entities. The amendments in this update simplify the existing guidance by removing all incremental financial reporting requirements for development stage entities. The amendments also eliminate an exception provided to development stage entities in Topic 810, Consolidation, for determining whether an entity is a variable interest entity on the basis of the amount of equity that is at risk. The elimination of the exception may change the consolidation analysis, consolidation decision, and disclosure requirements for a reporting entity that has an interest in an entity in the development stage. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2014, and interim periods therein. The guidance to eliminate the exception to the sufficiency-of-equity-at-risk criterion for development stage entities should be applied retrospectively for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods therein. Early application of each of the amendments is permitted for any annual reporting period or interim period for which the entity's financial statements have not yet been issued. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance.

Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern

In August 2014 the FASB issued guidance about management's responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. An entity's management should evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued (or within one year after the date that the financial statements are available to be issued when applicable). Management's evaluation should be based on relevant conditions and events that are known and reasonably knowable at the date that the financial statements are issued (or available to be issued). Substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern exists when relevant conditions and events, considered in the aggregate, indicate that it is probable that the entity will be unable to meet its obligations as they become due within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued (or available to be issued). The term probable is used consistently with its use in topic 450, Contingencies. The amendments in this update are effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material effect on its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy regarding (1) the principles it follows in consolidating or combining the separate financial statements, including the principles followed in determining the inclusion or exclusion of subsidiaries or other entities in the consolidated or combined financial statements and (2) its treatment of interests (for example, common stock, a partnership interest or other means of exerting influence) in other entities, for example consolidation or use of the equity or cost methods of accounting. The accounting policy may also address the accounting treatment for intercompany accounts and transactions, noncontrolling interest, and the income statement treatment in consolidation for issuances of stock by a subsidiary.

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+ Details