Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
Working in the field of accounting is permissible in Islam ah unless this work is for institutions that engage in prohibited activities, such as selling alcohol or pork products.
Answering your question, The Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America, states:
Working in the field of accounting is legitimate in Shari`ah because the accountant’s job is technical. It is based on legitimate employment skills and the basic principle regarding things is permissibility— there is no prohibition without evidence from Shari`ah — unless this work is for institutions that engage in prohibited activities, such as selling alcohol or pork products.
That would not be permissible unless one finds exigent need as defined by the established rules of Shari`ah. This need must be judged according to its extent, steps must be taken to end it, and one must maintain the intention of changing this line of work as soon as possible.
If, however, both lawful and prohibited are combined in the work an accountant is assigned to process, then, if the lawful is predominant, exemption would be made to do this when necessary, but one must get rid of a percentage of the money earned in proportion to the amount of the work that was prohibited.
Still, there remains a doubtful aspect to this type of job that would call for the employee to search for other work which is not doubtful.
If activities of a prohibited nature predominate, however, the basic principle would be avoidance, in order to stay away from participating in anything prohibited or assisting in it. That said, exigent needs must be considered, as long as they are judged according to their extent and steps are taken to bring the condition to an end.
There is nothing wrong with an accountant working (as a freelance employee), when his role is confined to processing financial decisions, without direct participation in them, for he merely serves to convey a realistic picture. There are no exceptions to this rule, save for institutions whose main activities revolve around prohibited matters.
Read also:
Working for a Company of Interest-based Finance: OK?
Can’t Find a Job Except in a Bank: What Should I Do?
Is Working a Security Job if Owner Sells Forbidden Items Haram?
Can I Accept Marriage Proposal from Relation Manager in a Bank?
Is Working as Software Engineer in Banks Allowed in Islam?
Working for Non-Islamic Banks: Permissible?
Is It Permissible to Install Doors for Non-Islamic Banks?
Almighty Allah knows best.
Source: AMJA Online