# What is the best software for a home bakery in New Zealand?

> MPI's home cake exemption still asks you to trace ingredients and run a recall. How ibakepro keeps that trail, prices in NZ dollars and handles 15 percent GST.

A New Zealand home bakery needs software that keeps a trail from every
ingredient to every customer, because MPI's exemption for home cake makers
still requires you to trace ingredients and be able to recall a product. It
should also take deposits in NZ dollars and be ready for GST at 15 percent
once your sales reach NZ$60,000. ibakepro is bakery management software for
New Zealand bakers from a home kitchen to a bakery with a team, from NZ$29 a
month, with New Zealand accounts able to choose the Sydney data region.

## Do I still need a food control plan to bake cakes at home?

Not if you make or decorate shelf-stable cakes in your home kitchen and sell
them direct to the people eating them. Under a Food Notice issued by MPI on
30 October 2025 and in force until 31 October 2028, you do not register a food
control plan or national programme for that work. MPI defines a shelf-stable cake as
one that is safe at room temperature until it is eaten, or one meant to be
eaten within 3 to 5 days that does not need refrigeration to stay safe, which
can include some ganache or cream fillings.

The exemption does not cover cakes that need refrigeration, other bakery
products or food sold for resale. If you also bake bread for a cafe or sell
cheesecakes, you are back under a food control plan or national programme,
usually through your council. The
[home baking laws table](/blog/home-baking-laws-by-state-and-country) has
both rows with their official links. Check with your council or MPI if your
menu sits on the line.

## What does the exemption ask of me, and where does software help?

Three conditions apply even when you are exempt: follow good hygiene
practice, tell MPI if something is wrong with a product, and have a way to
trace the ingredients you used and run a recall. The third one is a records
job, and it is where a notebook falls short. If a supplier recalls a batch of
desiccated coconut, you need to know which cakes used it and who bought them,
in minutes.

In ibakepro:

- **Ingredients link to products.** Every pantry item is used in recipes, and
  recipes in products, so one ingredient shows you every product it went into.
  See [The Pantry](/features/pantry-and-stock).
- **Products link to customers.** Each order holds the customer, the product,
  the flavour and the date, so the list of who to call is one search away.
- **Allergens follow the same chain.** Each ingredient carries its allergens,
  and they roll up to every product and order. See
  [allergen management](/features/allergen-management).

## When do I need to charge GST?

You must register for GST once your sales from a taxable activity were at
least NZ$60,000 in the last 12 months, or you expect them to be in the next 12
months, and then register within 21 days. GST is charged at 15 percent. Below
that line, registering is optional. When you register, ibakepro applies GST at
the rate you set and shows it on every quote and order.

## What should it cost?

| Plan | NZD per month | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | NZ$29 | One person, up to 100 orders in the life of the account |
| Growth | NZ$37 | Two users, unlimited orders, an online shop with pre-orders, and Compliance for food safety records |
| Business | NZ$100 | Unlimited users, wholesale accounts, delivery routing |

A home baker taking orders by message starts on Essentials, with
deposits by card through your own Stripe account and the balance chased
before the date. Growth adds a shop where customers order for a date you can
do, which is the step most bakers take before a busy December. The New
Zealand setup is on
[bakery software for New Zealand bakers](/bakery-software-new-zealand), and a
summer Christmas is planned in
[running a bakery through a summer Christmas](/blog/running-a-bakery-through-a-summer-christmas).