INCOME TAXES	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES Income tax expense consists of U.S. and international income taxes, determined using an estimate of the Company's annual effective tax rate. A deferred tax liability is recognized for all taxable temporary differences, and a deferred tax asset is recognized for all deductible temporary differences and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. The Company recognizes income tax expense based upon the applicable tax rates and tax laws of the countries in which the income is generated. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, a substantial majority of the Company's income was generated in the Netherlands. Income tax expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 differs from the expected tax expense at the U.S. federal statutory rate of 35%, primarily due to lower international tax rates, partially offset by U.S. state income taxes and certain non-deductible expenses. The effective tax rate was lower for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, compared to the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, primarily due to U.S. state tax law changes which resulted in a decrease to our deferred tax liabilities associated with acquired intangible assets and an increased proportion of our income being taxed at lower international tax rates due to the growth of our international businesses, offset by an increase in the tax rate that arises because there is no tax benefit on the impairment of our Hotel Urbano investment of approximately $50 million in the first quarter of 2016 and an additional impairment of approximately $10 million in the second quarter of 2016 (see Note 4). According to Dutch corporate income tax law, income generated from qualifying innovative activities is taxed at a rate of 5% ("Innovation Box Tax") rather than the Dutch statutory rate of 25%. A portion of Booking.com's earnings during the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 qualifies for Innovation Box Tax treatment, which had a significant beneficial impact on the Company's effective tax rate for those periods. The Company has significant deferred tax assets including U.S. net operating loss carryforwards ("NOLs"). At December 31, 2015, the Company had approximately $847.9 million of available NOLs for U.S. federal income tax purposes, comprised of $25.6 million of NOLs generated from operating losses and approximately $822.3 million of NOLs generated from equity-related transactions, including equity-based compensation and stock warrants. The majority of these NOLs expire from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2021. At December 31, 2015, the Company had approximately $620.9 million of U.S. state NOLs that expire mainly between December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2034. The utilization of these NOLs is dependent upon the Company's ability to generate sufficient future taxable income in the United States. Pursuant to current accounting guidance, tax benefits related to equity deductions will be recognized by crediting additional paid-in capital when they are realized by reducing the Company's current income tax liability. Under the new accounting standard issued in April 2016 (see Note 1), all previously unrecognized excess tax benefits will be recognized as a deferred tax asset, net of any valuation allowance, with a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the year of adoption of this standard. In addition, under the new accounting standard, prospectively all excess tax benefits will be recognized in the income statement in the year in which equity deductions are claimed on the Company's income tax return. The Company periodically evaluates the likelihood of the realization of deferred tax assets, and reduces the carrying amount of these deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance to the extent it believes a portion will not be realized. The Company considers many factors when assessing the likelihood of future realization of the deferred tax assets, including its recent cumulative earnings experience by taxing jurisdiction, expectations of future income, tax planning strategies, the carryforward periods available for tax reporting purposes, and other relevant factors. It is the practice and intention of the Company to indefinitely reinvest the earnings of its international subsidiaries outside of the United States. As a result, at June 30, 2016, no provision had been made for U.S. taxes on cumulative undistributed international earnings. At December 31, 2015, international earnings intended to be indefinitely reinvested amounted to approximately $9.9 billion. It is not practicable to determine the U.S. federal income tax liability that would be payable if such earnings were not indefinitely reinvested.

INCOME TAXES

Income tax expense consists of U.S. and international income taxes, determined using an estimate of the Company's annual effective tax rate. A deferred tax liability is recognized for all taxable temporary differences, and a deferred tax asset is recognized for all deductible temporary differences and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized.

The Company recognizes income tax expense based upon the applicable tax rates and tax laws of the countries in which the income is generated. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, a substantial majority of the Company's income was generated in the Netherlands. Income tax expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 differs from the expected tax expense at the U.S. federal statutory rate of 35%, primarily due to lower international tax rates, partially offset by U.S. state income taxes and certain non-deductible expenses. The effective tax rate was lower for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, compared to the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, primarily due to U.S. state tax law changes which resulted in a decrease to our deferred tax liabilities associated with acquired intangible assets and an increased proportion of our income being taxed at lower international tax rates due to the growth of our international businesses, offset by an increase in the tax rate that arises because there is no tax benefit on the impairment of our Hotel Urbano investment of approximately $50 million in the first quarter of 2016 and an additional impairment of approximately $10 million in the second quarter of 2016 (see Note 4).

According to Dutch corporate income tax law, income generated from qualifying innovative activities is taxed at a rate of 5% ("Innovation Box Tax") rather than the Dutch statutory rate of 25%. A portion of Booking.com's earnings during the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 qualifies for Innovation Box Tax treatment, which had a significant beneficial impact on the Company's effective tax rate for those periods.

The Company has significant deferred tax assets including U.S. net operating loss carryforwards ("NOLs"). At December 31, 2015, the Company had approximately $847.9 million of available NOLs for U.S. federal income tax purposes, comprised of $25.6 million of NOLs generated from operating losses and approximately $822.3 million of NOLs generated from equity-related transactions, including equity-based compensation and stock warrants. The majority of these NOLs expire from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2021. At December 31, 2015, the Company had approximately $620.9 million of U.S. state NOLs that expire mainly between December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2034. The utilization of these NOLs is dependent upon the Company's ability to generate sufficient future taxable income in the United States. Pursuant to current accounting guidance, tax benefits related to equity deductions will be recognized by crediting additional paid-in capital when they are realized by reducing the Company's current income tax liability. Under the new accounting standard issued in April 2016 (see Note 1), all previously unrecognized excess tax benefits will be recognized as a deferred tax asset, net of any valuation allowance, with a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the year of adoption of this standard. In addition, under the new accounting standard, prospectively all excess tax benefits will be recognized in the income statement in the year in which equity deductions are claimed on the Company's income tax return. The Company periodically evaluates the likelihood of the realization of deferred tax assets, and reduces the carrying amount of these deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance to the extent it believes a portion will not be realized. The Company considers many factors when assessing the likelihood of future realization of the deferred tax assets, including its recent cumulative earnings experience by taxing jurisdiction, expectations of future income, tax planning strategies, the carryforward periods available for tax reporting purposes, and other relevant factors.

It is the practice and intention of the Company to indefinitely reinvest the earnings of its international subsidiaries outside of the United States. As a result, at June 30, 2016, no provision had been made for U.S. taxes on cumulative undistributed international earnings. At December 31, 2015, international earnings intended to be indefinitely reinvested amounted to approximately $9.9 billion. It is not practicable to determine the U.S. federal income tax liability that would be payable if such earnings were not indefinitely reinvested.