Microsoft is to increase its prices by as much as 22pc in the UK because of sterling’s recent decline, a rise that is likely to affect thousands of businesses and could cost the Governments tens of millions of pounds.

The software giant is the latest big-name company to force through a post-referendum price rise, saying the move would “harmonise” its prices across Europe.

The value of sterling against the dollar, in which Microsoft books its revenues, has fallen by approximately 18pc since the EU referendum on June 23.

Microsoft’s move comes after the consumer goods giant Unilever attempted to pass on a 10pc price increase to British supermarkets, a move that to led to a stand-off with Tesco, resulting in what was dubbed “Marmitegate”, a 24-hour period during which many Unilever products disappeared from the retailer’s online store.