
Tariff Refunds, Hiring Is Steady, Financial Forecast on Agentic AI Commerce
From THRIVE, a Paychex Business Podcast by Paychex, Inc.
May 14, 2026 · 11 min · Season 6 · Episode 26
About this episode
The episode discusses tariff refunds, hiring trends in small businesses, and the financial forecast for agentic AI commerce.
Businesses that paid illegal tariffs under the Emergency Economic Powers Act could get a windfall if they follow the process to request a refund. Host Gene Marks shares some tips to facilitate getting your money back. He also says the latest Paychex Small Business Employment Watch reveals that employers are being cautious about hiring but aren’t cutting back on the practice amid economic uncertainty. Optimism abounds in the agentic AI commerce arena, where experts forecast that it could drive more than one trillion dollars in U.S. retail in the next four years. Topics: 00:00 – Introduction01:00 – Tariff Refunds04:13 – Small Business Employment Watch05:46 – Agentic AI Commerce Forecast09:29 – Episode Wrap-up Additional Resources Meet Paychex: https://bit.ly/3VtM6bs Paychex Small Business Employment Watch: https://bit.ly/paychex-sbew DISCLAIMER:The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own…
People in this episode
Host: Gene Marks
Topics covered
- Tariff Refunds
- Small Business Employment
- Agentic AI Commerce
- Economic Forecast
- Hiring Trends
Keywords
- tariff refunds
- Emergency Economic Powers Act
- small business employment
- agentic AI
- economic uncertainty
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Paychex, Emergency Economic Powers Act, Paychex Small Business Employment Watch, agentic AI commerce
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