The Oxford Dictionary of Economics

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balancing item

balancing item
An entry in a set of accounts to cover the discrepancy between two different figures for the same item. This is used when two methods of measurement produce different results for figures which should by definition be the same if both methods were completely accurate. Statisticians include a balancing item, or statistical adjustment, rather than changing one figure to agree with the other, when they do not know which, if either, is correct.

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