Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	INCOME TAXES The Company is subject to the tax laws of many jurisdictions. Changes in tax laws or the interpretation of tax laws can affect the Company’s earnings, as can the resolution of pending and contested tax issues. The Company's consolidated effective income tax rate is affected by a number of factors, including the mix of domestic and foreign earnings, the effect of exchange rate changes on deferred taxes, and the Company’s ability to utilize foreign tax credits. The consolidated effective income tax rate on pretax earnings was approximately 34% for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, compared to 33% for the quarter ended December 31, 2013. The effective rate for both quarters was lower than the 35% U.S. federal statutory rate, primarily due to the effect of changes in exchange rates on deferred income tax assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries. The effective income tax rate for the nine months ended December 31, 2014 was approximately 23%, compared to 33% for the nine months ended December 31, 2013. During the quarter ended June 30, 2014, the Company recorded a consolidated income tax benefit of $8 million, arising from the ability of its subsidiary, Deltafina S.p.A., to pay a significant portion of the European Commission fine and related interest charges in Italy that were settled during that quarter following the unsuccessful appeal of the case involving anti-competitive activities in the Italian tobacco market (see Note 3). Deltafina and Universal Corporation were jointly liable for the amounts imposed by the European Commission. The Company’s initial accrual of the fine and interest in September 2011 assumed that the entire obligation would be paid by Universal Corporation due to uncertainty with respect to Deltafina’s financial capacity to bear any significant portion of the cost upon the eventual settlement and to uncertainty as to when the payment would be made. Deltafina ultimately was able to assume responsibility for approximately $30 million of the total $53.0 million obligation for the fine and interest when those amounts were paid. Although the portion of the fine paid by Deltafina is not deductible for income tax purposes in Italy, it reduced the subsidiary’s cumulative undistributed earnings and the associated consolidated tax liability, resulting in the $8 million benefit in the Company’s consolidated income tax provision for the nine-month period. Excluding this discrete item, the consolidated effective income tax rate was 32% for the nine months ended December 31, 2014, which was slightly lower than the 33% effective rate for the nine months ended December 31, 2013. In addition to the effect of exchange rate changes on deferred income tax assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries, the effective tax rate for the nine-month period in both years was favorably impacted by a lower effective income tax rate on dividend income from unconsolidated operations.

INCOME TAXES

The Company is subject to the tax laws of many jurisdictions. Changes in tax laws or the interpretation of tax laws can affect the Company’s earnings, as can the resolution of pending and contested tax issues. The Company's consolidated effective income tax rate is affected by a number of factors, including the mix of domestic and foreign earnings, the effect of exchange rate changes on deferred taxes, and the Company’s ability to utilize foreign tax credits.

The consolidated effective income tax rate on pretax earnings was approximately 34% for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, compared to 33% for the quarter ended December 31, 2013. The effective rate for both quarters was lower than the 35% U.S. federal statutory rate, primarily due to the effect of changes in exchange rates on deferred income tax assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries.

The effective income tax rate for the nine months ended December 31, 2014 was approximately 23%, compared to 33% for the nine months ended December 31, 2013. During the quarter ended June 30, 2014, the Company recorded a consolidated income tax benefit of $8 million, arising from the ability of its subsidiary, Deltafina S.p.A., to pay a significant portion of the European Commission fine and related interest charges in Italy that were settled during that quarter following the unsuccessful appeal of the case involving anti-competitive activities in the Italian tobacco market (see Note 3). Deltafina and Universal Corporation were jointly liable for the amounts imposed by the European Commission. The Company’s initial accrual of the fine and interest in September 2011 assumed that the entire obligation would be paid by Universal Corporation due to uncertainty with respect to Deltafina’s financial capacity to bear any significant portion of the cost upon the eventual settlement and to uncertainty as to when the payment would be made. Deltafina ultimately was able to assume responsibility for approximately $30 million of the total $53.0 million obligation for the fine and interest when those amounts were paid. Although the portion of the fine paid by Deltafina is not deductible for income tax purposes in Italy, it reduced the subsidiary’s cumulative undistributed earnings and the associated consolidated tax liability, resulting in the $8 million benefit in the Company’s consolidated income tax provision for the nine-month period. Excluding this discrete item, the consolidated effective income tax rate was 32% for the nine months ended December 31, 2014, which was slightly lower than the 33% effective rate for the nine months ended December 31, 2013. In addition to the effect of exchange rate changes on deferred income tax assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries, the effective tax rate for the nine-month period in both years was favorably impacted by a lower effective income tax rate on dividend income from unconsolidated operations.