The New Food Business Levy: What It Costs and When It Starts

From 1 July 2025, every registered food business in New Zealand is subject to a new annual levy. The money funds New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) operations. It’s not optional, and it applies whether you operate under a Food Control Plan or a National Programme.

How Much

The levy is phased in over three years:

• Year 1 (from 1 July 2025): $57.50 + GST per place (FCP businesses) or per registered business (National Programme businesses)
• Year 2 (from 1 July 2026): $86.25 + GST
• Year 3 (from 1 July 2027) and beyond: $115.00 + GST

On top of the levy itself, your territorial authority (council) can add an administration fee of up to $11.00 + GST for collecting and processing the levy on behalf of NZFS.

So in Year 1, the total you’ll likely see on your invoice is around $78.78 including GST (levy + council admin fee).

Who Pays

Every food business that is either:

• Registered under a Food Control Plan, so you pay per place of business. If you operate from two sites, you pay twice.
• Registered under a National Programme, so you pay per registered business.

There are no exemptions based on size. A single-operator café pays the same rate as a large food manufacturer (though manufacturers with multiple sites will pay per site).

How It’s Collected

Your territorial authority (city or district council) handles billing. The levy will typically appear alongside your existing food registration renewal or as a separate invoice. The council collects the money and passes it through to NZFS, keeping their admin fee.

If you’re registered with MPI directly (some FCP businesses are), MPI will invoice you directly.

What It Funds

The levy funds NZFS’s core regulatory functions:

• Setting and updating food safety standards
• Guidance material and template development
• Compliance and enforcement activity
• The food recall coordination system
• Science and risk assessment work

Previously, these functions were funded from general taxation. The levy shifts the cost to the businesses that directly benefit from the regulatory framework.

What You Need to Do

1. Budget for it. Add the levy to your annual compliance costs. It’s a fixed cost per site, not variable.
2. Check your council correspondence. Your territorial authority should notify you of the levy amount and payment terms.
3. Don’t ignore the invoice. Non-payment may affect your registration status.

The levy isn’t large in isolation, but it’s another line item in the growing cost of food business compliance in New Zealand — on top of verification visit costs and your day-to-day Food Control Plan management. Factor it into your planning.