Note 1 - Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]
Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]	NOTE 1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of National Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“National” or the “Company”), have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial statements and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required for annual financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. The consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2014 and for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 are unaudited. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for the respective fiscal years. The statement of financial condition at September 30, 2013 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statement presentation. The accompanying consolidated financial information should be read in conjunction with the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013 for additional disclosures and accounting policies. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of National and its wholly-owned and majority owned subsidiaries. National, operates primarily through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including National Securities Corporation (“National Securities” or “NSC”) and vFinance Investments, Inc. (“vFinance Investments”) (collectively, the “Broker-Dealer Subsidiaries”). As a result of the Merger with Gilman in October 2013 (See Note 8), the Company added Prime Capital Services, Inc. (“Prime”) to its portfolio of Broker Dealer Subsidiaries, however, in November 2013, National Securities and Prime received approval from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) allowing for a mass transfer of Prime’s brokers and customer accounts to National Securities. This transfer was completed on November 22, 2013. This transfer was done to reduce overhead and consolidate the administrative and regulatory structures of the two entities. The Company filed a Broker Dealer withdrawal for Prime in January 2014.The Broker-Dealer Subsidiaries conduct a national securities brokerage business through their main offices in New York City, New York, Boca Raton, Florida, and Seattle, Washington. Certain items in the statement of operations for the fiscal 2013 periods have been reclassified to conform to the presentation in the fiscal 2014 periods. In addition, the statement of financial condition at September 30, 2013 is being presented on an unclassified basis, consistent with industry practice for registered broker-dealers in securities, which is the Company’s principal business. Such reclassifications did not have a material impact on the presentation of the overall financial statements.

Note 1 - Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2014

Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]

NOTE 1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of National Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“National” or the “Company”), have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial statements and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required for annual financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. The consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2014 and for the nine months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 are unaudited. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for the respective fiscal years. The statement of financial condition at September 30, 2013 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statement presentation. The accompanying consolidated financial information should be read in conjunction with the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013 for additional disclosures and accounting policies.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of National and its wholly-owned and majority owned subsidiaries. National, operates primarily through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including National Securities Corporation (“National Securities” or “NSC”) and vFinance Investments, Inc. (“vFinance Investments”) (collectively, the “Broker-Dealer Subsidiaries”). As a result of the Merger with Gilman in October 2013 (See Note 8), the Company added Prime Capital Services, Inc. (“Prime”) to its portfolio of Broker Dealer Subsidiaries, however, in November 2013, National Securities and Prime received approval from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) allowing for a mass transfer of Prime’s brokers and customer accounts to National Securities. This transfer was completed on November 22, 2013. This transfer was done to reduce overhead and consolidate the administrative and regulatory structures of the two entities. The Company filed a Broker Dealer withdrawal for Prime in January 2014.The Broker-Dealer Subsidiaries conduct a national securities brokerage business through their main offices in New York City, New York, Boca Raton, Florida, and Seattle, Washington.

Certain items in the statement of operations for the fiscal 2013 periods have been reclassified to conform to the presentation in the fiscal 2014 periods. In addition, the statement of financial condition at September 30, 2013 is being presented on an unclassified basis, consistent with industry practice for registered broker-dealers in securities, which is the Company’s principal business. Such reclassifications did not have a material impact on the presentation of the overall financial statements.