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Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]    
Estimated annual effective tax rate (as a percent) 28.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 29.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Prior year tax adjustment expense (benefit)   $ 22,000,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationPriorYearIncomeTaxes
Tax correction expense (benefit)   55,000,000cat_TaxCorrectionPriorYears
Settlement benefit, interest and previously unrecognized tax benefits   (33,000,000)cat_IncomeTaxReconciliationSettlementBenefitIncludingInterest
Income tax examination, proposed liability increase/(decrease) 1,000,000,000cat_Incometaxexaminationproposedliabilityincreasedecrease  
Income tax adjustment $ 125,000,000cat_Incometaxadjustment