Article "Net errors and omissions"
Since the data on the basis of which the balance of payments, received from different sources, then for the final results have to resort to the article "Net errors and omissions". In countries where integration has a strong tradition, the relative magnitude of this article, as a rule, small. Where there are flight or illegal capital outflows, this value may be substantially greater. The volume of outstanding resources can be significant and in states where rushes illegal capital.
However, in countries like the U.S., where there is a strong tradition of statistics, the article "Net errors and omissions" can be quite significant. Thus, in 1997, the value of the article in the U.S. balance of payments, exceeded 132 billion dollars, which is approximately equal to the balance on current account transactions. This suggests that the drafters of the U.S. balance of payments also do not have all the necessary information. Perhaps part of the funds are not quantifiable, have a criminal background.
From a formal point of view of the magnitude of this article's balance of payments is calculated as the difference between the amount of current account and capital account and financial account, on the one hand, and the magnitude of changes in official foreign exchange (and other related provision) - the other.