HARTFORD, Conn. -- Gov. Jodi Rell announced Saturday that the state will not be collecting income tax on residents' federal rebate checks as part of the federal economic stimulus package.

Rell released the following statement:

"Connecticut residents will not have to fork over a single cent of their federal rebate checks to the state of Connecticut, nor should they. State taxpayers will keep the full amount of their rebates. I am pleased to announce that, under current law, no Connecticut resident will be taxed on that income on their 2008 state tax returns."

Federal rebates are already addressed in Connecticut’s laws, so no income tax should be collected on those payments.