‘I've travelled all over investigating war crimes. How can I escape UK taxes?'

Telegraph

08-05-2025

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After a career examining the very worst of human nature, Richard Moore, 57, is keen to make the most of retirement.
He began as an analyst at the Serious Organised Crime Agency, before moving on to Cumbria Police. Keen on travel, however, he hopped on a flight a few years later to become an intelligence analyst with New Zealand Police.
He says: 'I quit my job with Cumbria police where I was head of intelligence in 2005, and emigrated to New Zealand. I bought a beautiful house, should never have sold it.
'[But] the job was so boring as there's so little serious crime. So, I applied for a job at the United Nations in Beirut.'
Before long, he found himself investigating war crimes. The demanding role took him around the world, working in countries such as Cambodia, Nigeria and Lebanon.
He adds: 'I was originally sold that job as working on the Boko Haram issue, but I never got to do that. I got roped into doing counter terrorism work because they'd had a spate of bombing in Abuja [Nigeria].
'As soon as I got there, the bombings stopped. I ended up producing risk assessments of the locally based UN programmes. After a number of incidents, I decided 'I've had enough of this'. I packed my bags and walked out.'
After a brief stint with the fire service in New Zealand, where he's a permanent resident, he returned once more to the UN before deciding to retire.
Nowadays, he travels as much as he can, racking up eight or nine trips a year. He also owns property in the UK and the Philippines, along with a plot of land in New Zealand.
He's balancing his love of exploring with spending more time with his family in the UK.
He says: 'My father is 85 and my mother's 81. I'm trying to spend more time over there with them. The trouble is I can't stay in one place very long. I own properties and never live in them.
'Having spent the best part of a decade living out of a suitcase bouncing around the world, I can't seem to kick the habit in retirement.'
His main income is his United Nations pension of just over $6,000 (£4,500) per month. He also has around NZD $500,000 (£224,000) in a portfolio with an asset management company.
He reinvests all the growth he receives, but estimates he could draw almost NZD $50,000 (£22,000) more each year without paying more tax in New Zealand, where he also has around NZD $130,000 (£58,000) in deposit accounts.
As a single man with no children, and enough money to cover his current expenditure, Richard is wondering whether he should keep investing or just enjoy the money he's built up over the years.
He says: 'I still live simply, thus I don't spend enough of my income. My New Year's resolution is 'don't be cheap, you're retired now', but it's a hard habit to break. Should I hang on to more cash or keep reinvesting?'
His frequent international travel has also left him in a precarious situation regarding tax. He's keen to avoid non-dom status, but he's also trying not to become a permanent resident in the UK for tax purposes.