Income Taxes (Deferred Tax Liabilities and Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation	$ (69,900)	$ (69,222)
Deferred profit (for tax purposes) on sale to finance subsidiary	(28,101)	(30,791)
Lease revenue and related depreciation	(190,852)	(174,083)
Intangible assets	(81,816)	(88,024)
Operating lease liability	(50,071)	(52,731)
Other	(27,865)	(24,941)
Gross deferred tax liabilities	(448,605)	(439,792)
Deferred tax assets:
Postretirement medical benefits	42,423	41,015
Pension	48,385	43,763
Operating lease asset	54,538	52,731
Inventory and equipment capitalization	2,494	2,735
Restructuring charges	2,022	2,944
Long-term incentives	12,905	12,929
Net operating loss	82,823	82,673
Tax credit carry forwards	64,070	64,430
Tax uncertainties gross-up	6,656	6,577
Other	42,079	38,247
Gross deferred tax assets	358,395	348,044
Less: Valuation allowance	(116,543)	(110,781)
Net deferred tax assets	241,852	237,263
Total deferred taxes, net	$ (206,753)	$ (202,529)

Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Lease Asset

No definition available.

Name:	pbi_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLeaseAsset
Namespace Prefix:	pbi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The sum of the tax effects as of the balance sheet date of the amount of excesses of tax deductions over gross income in a year which cannot be used on the tax returns in the current year but can be carried forward to reduce taxable income or income taxes payable in a future year, for which there must be sufficient tax-basis income to utilize a portion or all of the carryforward amount to realize the deferred tax asset and the tax effect as of the balance sheet date of the amount of future tax deductions arising from all unused tax credit carryforwards which have been reduced by a valuation allowance.

+ References

No definition available.