The Government's plans to reimburse local government for raising the threshold for small business rate relief would be ‘nigh on impossible' going forward, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). 

In his Budget on Wednesday, chancellor George Osborne announced small business rate relief would become permanent and would now apply to properties with a rateable value of up to £15,000, with higher rate relief increasing from £18,000 to £51,000.