Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Income Taxes	Sep. 30, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The Company applies an estimated annual effective rate to interim period pre-tax income to calculate the income tax provision for the quarter in accordance with the principal method prescribed by the accounting guidance established for computing income taxes in interim periods. Prior to 2020, the Company determined the quarterly income tax provision using a discrete year-to-date calculation. Consolidated income tax expense was $22.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, and consolidated income tax benefit was $0.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The Company’s effective tax rate was 0.4% for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The income tax expense for the three months ended September 30, 2020 primarily reflects the effects of a gain allocated to GWG Holdings from Ben LP and an increase to the valuation allowance on the Company’s net deferred tax assets (described below). The income tax benefit for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 primarily reflects the effects of a gain allocated to GWG Holdings from Ben LP and a change in state taxing jurisdictions. After the change-of-control transaction with Ben LP on December 31, 2019, the Company moved its headquarters from Minnesota to Texas. This move resulted in a change in the state deferred tax rate from 9.8% to 0%. In the third quarter 2020, GWG Holdings was allocated a gain from its investment in Ben LP. The tax effects of these items have been recorded as discrete items. The Company currently records a valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets that cannot be realized by the future reversal of existing temporary differences. Due to the uncertain timing of the reversal of certain of these temporary differences due to the constraint described below, they cannot be considered as a source of future taxable income for purposes of determining a valuation allowance; therefore, the vast majority of the deferred tax liability cannot be utilized in determining the realizability of the deferred tax assets. This is often referred to as a “naked credit.” Due to a prior deemed ownership change, net operating loss carryforwards are subject to Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Company reassessed its valuation allowance during the third quarter of 2020 and determined it will no longer utilize the reversal of a temporary difference related to the Company's preferred equity ownership in Beneficient, until such time as the preferred equity is no longer constrained, as a source of income to realize existing deferred tax assets related to the net operating loss and Section 163(j) limitations. As a result, the valuation allowance on the deferred tax assets increased as of September 30, 2020, which resulted in a larger net deferred tax liability (naked credit) as of September 30, 2020. The naked credit as of September 30, 2020 is specifically related to GWG Life’s investment in the Preferred Series A Subclass 1 Unit Accounts described in Note 1. The disposition of this investment is constrained by the Pledge and Security Agreement in favor of the holders of the L Bonds of GWG Holdings. As such, the timing of recognition of the necessary taxable income related to this investment and the future reversal of this temporary difference cannot be predicted. We continue to monitor and evaluate the rationale for recording a full valuation allowance for the net amount of the deferred tax assets in excess of the deferred tax liabilities that are not constrained. We intend to continue maintaining a full valuation allowance on these net deferred tax assets until there is sufficient evidence to support the reversal of all or some portion of these allowances. Release of the valuation allowance would result in the recognition of certain deferred tax assets and a decrease to income tax expense for the period the release is recorded. However, the exact timing and amount of the valuation allowance release are subject to change on the basis of the level of profitability that we are able to actually achieve. On March 27, 2020, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), which included significant changes to U.S. Federal income tax law. However, the only change that is expected to affect the Company is the modification to Section 163(j), which increased the allowable business interest deduction from 30% of adjusted taxable income to 50% of adjusted taxable income.

The entire disclosure for income taxes. Disclosures may include net deferred tax liability or asset recognized in an enterprise's statement of financial position, net change during the year in the total valuation allowance, approximate tax effect of each type of temporary difference and carryforward that gives rise to a significant portion of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, utilization of a tax carryback, and tax uncertainties information.