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Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 1 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Jun. 30, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Mar. 17, 2014
Jan. 31, 2014
Income tax expense related to equity in earnings of investees         $ 600,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationEquityInEarningsLossesOfUnconsolidatedSubsidiary $ 10,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationEquityInEarningsLossesOfUnconsolidatedSubsidiary $ 100,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationEquityInEarningsLossesOfUnconsolidatedSubsidiary    
Deferred tax assets, foreign and state loss and tax credit carryforwards 2,700,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards       2,700,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards        
Valuation Allowance, Amount 2,224,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance   3,227,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance   2,224,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 3,227,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance      
Valuation allowance 400,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount   10,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount   600,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount        
Effective income tax rate         39.20%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 30.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 32.20%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations    
Net income tax benefit deduction foreign subsidiary       6,800,000bid_NetIncomeTaxBenefitDeductionForeignSubsidiary          
Income tax expense from enacted legislation   3,900,000bid_IncomeTaxExpensefromEnactedLegislation              
Income tax expense (benefit)         (75,761,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (55,702,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (51,395,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit    
Net deferred tax liabilities 16,400,000bid_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesTemporaryTaxDifferencesfromUndistributedEarningsofForeignSubsidiaries       16,400,000bid_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesTemporaryTaxDifferencesfromUndistributedEarningsofForeignSubsidiaries        
Undistributed foreign earnings intended for indefinite reinvestment outside the U.S. 500,000,000bid_UndistributedForeignEarningsIntendedForIndefiniteReinvestmentOustideUS       500,000,000bid_UndistributedForeignEarningsIntendedForIndefiniteReinvestmentOustideUS        
Deferred tax liabilities, Net 175,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilityNotRecognizedAmountOfUnrecognizedDeferredTaxLiabilityUndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries       175,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilityNotRecognizedAmountOfUnrecognizedDeferredTaxLiabilityUndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries        
Net income tax payments         60,300,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet 36,200,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet 61,400,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet    
Repatriation Impact on Income Statement [Member]                  
Income tax expense (benefit)         (18,600,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_InformationByFinancialStatementLineItemAxis
= bid_RepatriationImpactonIncomeStatementMember
(8,700,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_InformationByFinancialStatementLineItemAxis
= bid_RepatriationImpactonIncomeStatementMember
     
Repatriation Impact on Other Comprehensive Income Statement [Member]                  
Income tax expense (benefit)         2,200,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_InformationByFinancialStatementLineItemAxis
= bid_RepatriationImpactonOtherComprehensiveIncomeStatementMember
       
All Countries [Domain]                  
Foreign earnings repatriated   250,000,000us-gaap_ForeignEarningsRepatriated
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_AllCountriesDomain
          250,000,000us-gaap_ForeignEarningsRepatriated
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_AllCountriesDomain
 
Special Dividend [Member]                  
Dividends, common stock           $ 300,000,000us-gaap_DividendsCommonStock
/ us-gaap_DividendsAxis
= bid_SpecialDividendMember
  $ 300,000,000us-gaap_DividendsCommonStock
/ us-gaap_DividendsAxis
= bid_SpecialDividendMember
$ 300,000,000us-gaap_DividendsCommonStock
/ us-gaap_DividendsAxis
= bid_SpecialDividendMember