Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Platform Specialty Products Corporation is a global, diversified producer of high-technology specialty chemical products. As further described in Note 19, Segment Information, the Company operates in two segments: Performance Applications and Agricultural Solutions. Platform was originally incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the British Virgin Islands under the BVI Companies Act on April 23, 2013. Until the MacDermid Acquisition on October 31, 2013, as described below, the Company had neither engaged in any operations nor generated any income. On October 31, 2013, the Company completed the MacDermid Acquisition pursuant to which it indirectly acquired substantially all of the equity of MacDermid Holdings, which, at the time, owned approximately 97% of MacDermid. The Company acquired the remaining 3% of MacDermid on March 4, 2014, pursuant to the terms of an Exchange Agreement, dated October 25, 2013, between the Company and the fiduciaries of the 401K Plan. On January 22, 2014, the Company completed its Domestication and on January 23, 2014, the Company's common stock, par value $0.01 per share, began trading on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “PAH.” Basis of Presentation These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements and related information have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial information and in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements reflect all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, normal and recurring and necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations. These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report. The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. Principles of Consolidation The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include Platform's accounts, all of its majority-owned domestic and foreign subsidiaries, and a variable interest entity of which the Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary. All subsidiaries are included in the condensed consolidated financial statements for the entire period or, if acquired, from the date that the Company obtains control, in accordance with U.S GAAP. The Company fully consolidates the income, expenses, assets, liabilities and cash flows of subsidiaries from the date it acquires control up to the date control ceases. All intercompany accounts and transactions were eliminated in consolidation. Significant Accounting Policies Marketable Equity Securities Equity securities that have a readily determinable fair value are classified as available for sale and are carried at fair value. Unrealized holding gains and losses are recorded in other comprehensive income. Equity securities which do not have readily determinable fair values are recorded at cost, and are evaluated whenever events or changes in circumstance indicate that the carrying values of such investments may be impaired. Financial Guarantees and Factoring of Accounts Receivable Guarantees provided to financial institutions on vendor and customer loans used to settle outstanding accounts receivable balances are recorded liabilities until such time when the guarantee period has elapsed, at which time the accounts receivable balance and the related financial guarantee is reversed. Factoring arrangements transferring substantially all economic risks and rewards associated with trade receivables to a third party are accounted for by derecognizing the trade receivables upon receiving the cash proceeds from the factoring arrangement. Factoring arrangements that transfer to a third party some, but not substantially all, economic risks and rewards and where the assets subject to the factoring remain under our control are accounted for by not derecognizing the trade receivable and by recognizing any related obligation to the third party. Product Registrations Product registrations represent external costs incurred to obtain distribution rights from regulatory bodies for certain products in our Agricultural Solutions segment. These costs include laboratory testing, legal, regulatory filing and other costs. Only costs associated with products that are probable of generating future cash flows are capitalized. The capitalized costs are amortized over the useful life of the registrations and included in "Selling, technical, general and administrative" expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and are evaluated for impairment in the same manner as other finite-lived intangible assets. Equity Method Investments Investments in which we have the ability to exercise significant influence, but do not control, are accounted for under the equity method of accounting and are included in Other assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Significant influence generally exists when we hold between 20% and 50% of the voting power of another entity. Investments are initially recognized at cost. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include our share of net earnings or losses from the date that significant influence commences until the date that significant influence ceases. When our share of losses exceeds our interest in an equity investment, the carrying amount of that interest is reduced to zero, and the recognition of further losses is discontinued, except to the extent that we have an obligation or have made payments on behalf of the investee. Revenue Recognition The Company recognizes revenue, including freight charged to customers, net of applicable rebates, estimates for sales returns and allowances and discounts, when the earnings process is complete. This occurs when products are shipped to or received by the customer in accordance with the terms of the agreement, title and risk of loss have been transferred, collectability is probable and pricing is fixed or determinable. The Company allows certain distributors within the Agricultural Solutions segment one-time, non-repeatable extensions of credit on a limited portion of purchases made during a purchasing cycle which remain in the distributor’s inventory. The extension of credit is not a right to return, and distributors must pay unconditionally when the extended credit period expires. Accounting Policies Recently Adopted and Pending Pronouncements Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) - In May 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-07, “Disclosures for Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (or Its Equivalent).” This update eliminates diversity in practice related to investments whose fair value is measured using net asset values as a practical expedient, and removes the requirement to categorize such investments within the fair value hierarchy. The guidance is effective retrospectively for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new ASU, but does not expect it to have a material impact on its financial statements. Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40) - In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05, “Customer's Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement.” This update provides explicit guidance to customers utilizing a cloud computing solution to help determine whether such an arrangement include a software license, in which case the accounting applied would be similar to that of other software license arrangements. Otherwise, the arrangement would be accounted for as a service contract. The guidance is effective prospectively for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect this ASU to have a material impact on its financial statements. Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) - In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, “Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs.” This update eliminates the difference in the presentation of debt issuance costs and debt discount and premiums by requiring that debt issuance costs be presented as deductions from the carrying value of the related debt, in a manner similar to debt discounts. The guidance is effective retroactively for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The Company will early adopt this ASU as of June 30, 2015, and will accordingly reclassify approximately $55.0 million of debt issuance costs from assets to contra-liabilities. Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815) - In November 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-16, “ Determining Whether the Host Contract in a Hybrid Financial Instrument Issued in the Form of a Share Is More Akin to Debt or to Equity (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force).” Under current practice, there were predominantly two methods used to evaluate whether the nature of the host contract in a hybrid financial instrument is more akin to debt or equity: one considered all the features including the embedded and the other excluded the embedded derivative in the consideration. This update eliminates the difference in practice by clarifying that the evaluation should be based on all the instrument’s features, including the embedded derivative, and that no single term or feature would necessarily determine the economic characteristics and risks of the host contract. The guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and is applied in a modified retrospective basis to existing hybrid financial instruments issued in the form of a share as of the beginning of our fiscal year 2016. Early adoption, including in an interim period, is permitted. The Company adopted the provision of this ASU during the first quarter of 2015, with the issuance of Platform's Series B Convertible Preferred Stock. This ASU did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements, as there were no hybrid financial instruments requiring retrospective application. Reclassifications Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Platform Specialty Products Corporation is a global, diversified producer of high-technology specialty chemical products. As further described in Note 19, Segment Information, the Company operates in two segments: Performance Applications and Agricultural Solutions.

Platform was originally incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the British Virgin Islands under the BVI Companies Act on April 23, 2013. Until the MacDermid Acquisition on October 31, 2013, as described below, the Company had neither engaged in any operations nor generated any income.

On October 31, 2013, the Company completed the MacDermid Acquisition pursuant to which it indirectly acquired substantially all of the equity of MacDermid Holdings, which, at the time, owned approximately 97% of MacDermid. The Company acquired the remaining 3% of MacDermid on March 4, 2014, pursuant to the terms of an Exchange Agreement, dated October 25, 2013, between the Company and the fiduciaries of the 401K Plan. On January 22, 2014, the Company completed its Domestication and on January 23, 2014, the Company's common stock, par value $0.01 per share, began trading on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “PAH.”

Basis of Presentation

These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements and related information have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial information and in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements reflect all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, normal and recurring and necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations. These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report.

The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include Platform's accounts, all of its majority-owned domestic and foreign subsidiaries, and a variable interest entity of which the Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary. All subsidiaries are included in the condensed consolidated financial statements for the entire period or, if acquired, from the date that the Company obtains control, in accordance with U.S GAAP. The Company fully consolidates the income, expenses, assets, liabilities and cash flows of subsidiaries from the date it acquires control up to the date control ceases. All intercompany accounts and transactions were eliminated in consolidation.

Significant Accounting Policies

Marketable Equity Securities

Equity securities that have a readily determinable fair value are classified as available for sale and are carried at fair value. Unrealized holding gains and losses are recorded in other comprehensive income. Equity securities which do not have readily determinable fair values are recorded at cost, and are evaluated whenever events or changes in circumstance indicate that the carrying values of such investments may be impaired.

Financial Guarantees and Factoring of Accounts Receivable

Guarantees provided to financial institutions on vendor and customer loans used to settle outstanding accounts receivable balances are recorded liabilities until such time when the guarantee period has elapsed, at which time the accounts receivable balance and the related financial guarantee is reversed.

Factoring arrangements transferring substantially all economic risks and rewards associated with trade receivables to a third party are accounted for by derecognizing the trade receivables upon receiving the cash proceeds from the factoring arrangement. Factoring arrangements that transfer to a third party some, but not substantially all, economic risks and rewards and where the assets subject to the factoring remain under our control are accounted for by not derecognizing the trade receivable and by recognizing any related obligation to the third party.

Product Registrations

Product registrations represent external costs incurred to obtain distribution rights from regulatory bodies for certain products in our Agricultural Solutions segment. These costs include laboratory testing, legal, regulatory filing and other costs. Only costs associated with products that are probable of generating future cash flows are capitalized. The capitalized costs are amortized over the useful life of the registrations and included in "Selling, technical, general and administrative" expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and are evaluated for impairment in the same manner as other finite-lived intangible assets.

Equity Method Investments

Investments in which we have the ability to exercise significant influence, but do not control, are accounted for under the equity method of accounting and are included in Other assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Significant influence generally exists when we hold between 20% and 50% of the voting power of another entity. Investments are initially recognized at cost. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include our share of net earnings or losses from the date that significant influence commences until the date that significant influence ceases. When our share of losses exceeds our interest in an equity investment, the carrying amount of that interest is reduced to zero, and the recognition of further losses is discontinued, except to the extent that we have an obligation or have made payments on behalf of the investee.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue, including freight charged to customers, net of applicable rebates, estimates for sales returns and allowances and discounts, when the earnings process is complete. This occurs when products are shipped to or received by the customer in accordance with the terms of the agreement, title and risk of loss have been transferred, collectability is probable and pricing is fixed or determinable.

The Company allows certain distributors within the Agricultural Solutions segment one-time, non-repeatable extensions of credit on a limited portion of purchases made during a purchasing cycle which remain in the distributor’s inventory. The extension of credit is not a right to return, and distributors must pay unconditionally when the extended credit period expires.

Accounting Policies Recently Adopted and Pending Pronouncements

Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) - In May 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-07, “Disclosures for Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (or Its Equivalent).” This update eliminates diversity in practice related to investments whose fair value is measured using net asset values as a practical expedient, and removes the requirement to categorize such investments within the fair value hierarchy. The guidance is effective retrospectively for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new ASU, but does not expect it to have a material impact on its financial statements.

Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40) - In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05, “Customer's Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement.” This update provides explicit guidance to customers utilizing a cloud computing solution to help determine whether such an arrangement include a software license, in which case the accounting applied would be similar to that of other software license arrangements. Otherwise, the arrangement would be accounted for as a service contract. The guidance is effective prospectively for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect this ASU to have a material impact on its financial statements.

Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) - In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, “Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs.” This update eliminates the difference in the presentation of debt issuance costs and debt discount and premiums by requiring that debt issuance costs be presented as deductions from the carrying value of the related debt, in a manner similar to debt discounts. The guidance is effective retroactively for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The Company will early adopt this ASU as of June 30, 2015, and will accordingly reclassify approximately $55.0 million of debt issuance costs from assets to contra-liabilities.

Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815) - In November 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-16, “ Determining Whether the Host Contract in a Hybrid Financial Instrument Issued in the Form of a Share Is More Akin to Debt or to Equity (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force).” Under current practice, there were predominantly two methods used to evaluate whether the nature of the host contract in a hybrid financial instrument is more akin to debt or equity: one considered all the features including the embedded and the other excluded the embedded derivative in the consideration. This update eliminates the difference in practice by clarifying that the evaluation should be based on all the instrument’s features, including the embedded derivative, and that no single term or feature would necessarily determine the economic characteristics and risks of the host contract. The guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and is applied in a modified retrospective basis to existing hybrid financial instruments issued in the form of a share as of the beginning of our fiscal year 2016. Early adoption, including in an interim period, is permitted. The Company adopted the provision of this ASU during the first quarter of 2015, with the issuance of Platform's Series B Convertible Preferred Stock. This ASU did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements, as there were no hybrid financial instruments requiring retrospective application.

Reclassifications

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.