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Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Income tax credits     $ 7,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxCreditsAndAdjustments [1] $ 5,200,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxCreditsAndAdjustments [1] $ 53,300,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxCreditsAndAdjustments
Percentage of tax benefit of a qualifying position greater than largest amount of tax benefit     50.00%bcr_PercentageOfTaxBenefitOfQualifyingPositionGreaterThanLargestAmountOfTaxBenefit    
Unrecognized tax benefits related to federal, state and foreign taxes     36,100,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 58,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 43,400,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate     31,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate    
Accrued interest     2,900,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued 6,600,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued  
Interest and penalties, expenses     (200,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense 1,300,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense (200,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense
Reduction in income tax provision (10,900,000)us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions (2,200,000)us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions (10,900,000)us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions    
Decrease in unrecognized tax benefits within the next 12 months     11,600,000us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEstimatedRangeOfChangeUpperBound    
Number of months unrecognized tax benefits may decrease     12 months    
Undistributed earnings on foreign operations for which income taxes have not been provided     2,100,000,000bcr_UndistributedEarningsOnForeignOperationsForWhichIncomeTaxesHaveNotBeenProvided    
United States - federal          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Operating loss carryforwards, net     50,400,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
   
United States - federal | Minimum          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration year     2027    
United States - federal | Maximum          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration year     2034    
State and Local Jurisdiction          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Operating loss carryforwards, net     395,000,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
   
State and Local Jurisdiction | Minimum          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration year     2015    
State and Local Jurisdiction | Maximum          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration year     2034    
Foreign Tax Authority          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Operating loss carryforwards, net     25,900,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
   
Indefinite Life          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Income tax credits     11,800,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxCreditsAndAdjustments
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= bcr_IndefiniteLifeMember
   
Definite Life          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Income tax credits     $ 14,200,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxCreditsAndAdjustments
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= bcr_DefiniteLifeMember
   
Definite Life | Minimum          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Income tax credits carryforwards, expiration year     2017    
Definite Life | Maximum          
Income Tax [Line Items]          
Income tax credits carryforwards, expiration year     2033    
[1] Litigation charges, net reduced the tax benefit recognized from the incentive tax grant in Puerto Rico.