XML 40 R26.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Income Taxes [Abstract]    
New York City unincorporated business tax (in hundredths) 4.00%ab_NewYorkCityUnincorporatedBusinessTaxRate  
Computation of equity in net income attributable to AllianceBernstein Unitholders [Abstract]    
Net income attributable to AB Unitholders $ 141,469us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationNetIncomeLoss $ 116,725us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationNetIncomeLoss
Multiplied by: weighted average equity ownership interest (in hundredths) 36.50%us-gaap_SubsidiaryOrEquityMethodInvesteeCumulativePercentageOwnershipAfterAllTransactions 35.40%us-gaap_SubsidiaryOrEquityMethodInvesteeCumulativePercentageOwnershipAfterAllTransactions
Equity in net income attributable to AB Unitholders 51,616us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 41,371us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
Computation of income tax [Abstract]    
AB qualifying revenues 544,774ab_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationQualifyingRevenue 499,129ab_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationQualifyingRevenue
Multiplied by: weighted average equity ownership interest for calculating tax (in hundredths) 31.10%ab_EquityMethodInvestmentWeightedAverageOwnershipPercentageForCalculatingTax 29.30%ab_EquityMethodInvestmentWeightedAverageOwnershipPercentageForCalculatingTax
Multiplied by: federal tax (in hundredths) 3.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 3.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Federal income taxes 5,927us-gaap_CurrentFederalTaxExpenseBenefit 5,112us-gaap_CurrentFederalTaxExpenseBenefit
State income taxes 104us-gaap_CurrentStateAndLocalTaxExpenseBenefit 100us-gaap_CurrentStateAndLocalTaxExpenseBenefit
Total income taxes $ 6,031us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 5,212us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Effective tax rate (in hundredths) 11.70%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 12.60%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Changes in components for calculation of income tax [Abstract]    
Increase in net income attributable to AllianceBernstein Unitholders (in hundredths) 21.20%ab_IncreaseDecreaseInNetIncomeAttributableToEquityMethodInvestments  
Increase in equity in net income attributable to AllianceBernstein Unitholders (in hundredths) 24.80%ab_IncreaseDecreaseInEquityInNetIncomeAttributableToEquityMethodInvestments  
Change in AllianceBernstein qualifying revenues (in hundredths) 9.10%ab_IncreaseDecreaseInQualifyingRevenueOfEquityMethodInvestment  
Increase in income taxes (in hundredths) 15.70%ab_IncreaseDecreaseInIncomeTax