This is the article I was referring to...Sandra Block (USA TODAY)
TAXES
Myth: Because I'm getting a tax rebate this year, my 2008 tax bill will be higher.
Reality: No, it won't.
Starting next month, more than 130 million taxpayers, senior citizens and disabled veterans will receive rebates ranging from $300 to $600, or $1,200 for married couples who file jointly. Parents with dependent children under age 17 will be eligible for an additional $300 per child.
Technically, the rebate is a credit based on your 2008 taxes. To get money into consumers' wallets more quickly, though, Congress decided to calculate the rebate using taxpayers' 2007 returns, says Mel Schwarz of the accounting firm Grant Thornton.
If it turns out you're due a larger credit, you can claim it when you file your 2008 tax return. And if your rebate was too large? No worries: You won't have to give the money back.
Surveys suggest that taxpayers will be more likely to save their rebate or use it to trim debt than to spend it. But whatever you do with the money, don't worry about setting aside a portion of your check for the IRS. The rebate won't be treated as income when you file your 2008 return, Schwarz says.